Johannes Baeck
Portrait of Frederik van Zuylen van Nijevelt
Oil on panel : 69,5 X 59,8 cm
Signed and dated 1650 upper left
Private collection, RKD Nr. 124312
(black and white photograph)
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Painting for Sale
Baeck, Johannes
"Diogenes looking for a man"
In short
There are very few paintings known by Johannes Baeck, a Caravaggesque Dutch painter from Utrecht, who has also lived in Amsterdam. Our painting must date from the 1640s.
This is a popular subject in Western art: the controversial Greek philosopher Diogenes (4th century BC) walking during the daylight with a lamp, looking for a wise man on the Agora of Athens.
About Johannes Baeck
Dutch painter
Utrecht circa 1600 – 1654/55 Utrecht
Painter of genre scenes, portrait, allegories and landscapes.
He started using the first name Johannes in or after 1634; at birth he was given a double first name, Hans Juriaen (which must be of German origin).
His father and grandfather had both been “Provoost”, that is the important military guardian of the peace in the region of Utrecht.
It is not known whom Baeck studied painting with.
He practised two other profession, as a military and as an inn keeper. These must have been his main sources of income.
He seems to have moved regularly: he is documented in Utrecht, in Amsterdam and also in Vianen.
He got married in 1637, the couple had six children.
About the subject of our painting
Diogenes of Sinope (413/403 BC – 324/321 BC) was a famous ancient Greek philosopher. He was one of the founders of the school of Cynicism, promoting a simple, ascetic, non-conformist lifestyle, detached from possessions and desires.
He lived during winter in Athens in a large pithos-jar (sometimes represented as a barrel), in summer outdoors in Corinth. He survived by begging.
Many anecdotes of his unconventional, controversial behaviour have survived.
- Best-known is the story of Diogenes wandering during daytime over the Agora in Athens with a lit lamp, saying “I am looking for a man”. This is the subject of our painting: the philosopher intended to indicate how difficult it was to find a man worthy of the name, a virtuous, wise man.
- Another well-known story about Diogenes was written down by the Greek Platonist philosopher Plutarch during the first century AD: when young Alexander the Great visited Diogenes (in Corinth) he asked him if there was anything that he wanted. The famous Cynic answered “that you would stand a little out of my sun”.
About our painting
Our painting stands close to Baeck’s other beautiful lifesize figure piece, the Merry Company from the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna. Our composition shows more unity in comparison to the former painting seemingly falling into two halfs. Our two children leading the viewer’s eye to the adults lacks the clumsiness of the dog with which Baeck tried to link both parts of the 1637 composition. In both paintings two figures in the background have been painted more vaguely.
The intensity of the look of our Diogenes can be compared to the portrait of the Utrecht nobleman Frederik van Zuylen van Nyevelt, whose costume dates from the early 1640s, the painting is dated 1650.
Lastly our male figure at left reminds strongly of the left man in Baeck’s Prodigal Son in the brothel, from Dorotheum Vienna, 2/10/02.
Why should you buy this painting?
Because it is a great painting of a marvellous subject by a rare artist, still sitting in its original frame.
Comparative paintings
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