Jacob Jordaens, The Triumph of Frederick Henry, 1651

by Atelier Liesjes

Beneath a tall, dark colonnade, a triumphal procession passes by. On the right, Frederick Henry sits in a red cloak upon a gilded chariot, a commander’s staff in his hand; white horses are led in front of the chariot. Figures crowd around him: a woman in a white dress wearing a wreath, a bearded man with a trident, soldiers in helmets carrying spears, and a horseman on a dark horse. On the left, a gilded statue of a man in armour stands on a plinth. Angels with trumpets and wreaths float in the clouds, and above the monarch one of them holds a laurel wreath aloft. At the bottom, two lions lean against the foreground. At the left-hand edge, a woman in a silvery-white robe raises a branch, standing next to a small putto. It is an allegorical triumphal procession, painted as a tribute to the late stadtholder. Jordaens blends historical figures with personifications of virtues and victory, as in classical triumphal scenes. The prince remains calm amidst the hustle and bustle; the commotion lies in the figures and animals surrounding him. The colours are warm and sumptuous – carmine red, old gold, blue-green and ivory-coloured skin – set against a grey-green architectural backdrop. The loose, swift brushwork betrays the hand of a painter who frequently tackled large-scale scenes of this kind. The architecture remains dark and acts as a backdrop to the figures. Jacob Jordaens (Antwerp 1593 – Antwerp 1678) was the master of choice for such monumental tributes; he painted triumphs, festivals of the gods and regal series for patrons throughout the Netherlands. He learnt his craft from Adam van Noort and worked side by side with Rubens for many years. This canvas demonstrates his ability to arrange dozens of figures in a single fluid composition. A regal, compelling work for a large hall.