In order to continue Judah’s bloodline Tamar turned to ruse to get pregnant by him, her own-father-in-law: she offered (at the centre of our painting) her services to Judah disguised as a prostitute.

 

Sadly I have not been able to find an attribution for this interesting composition that stands close to other second half 16th century Antwerp painters, such as Gillis Mostaert I, Jacob Grimmer and Cornelis Molenaer.

 

 

In the Bible, in the Book of Genesis, the story is told of Tamar, who was to become the mother of twins from her (twice) father-in-law, Judah (who was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah), in order to continue his bloodline. 

 

Judah had three sons: the eldest one married Tamar, but was killed by God before a son was born, because he was a bad person. 

Judah’s second son was asked to provide offspring, he committed coitus interruptus and was also killed by God.

Judah promised to give Tamar his third son, but he did not. In the meantime Judah lost his wife.

So Tamar turned to ruse: when Judah went to Timnath to shear his sheep she disguised herself as a harlot. She provided him with her services in return for his signet-ring, staff and cord, which he would later exchange for a goat. Needless to say that the exchange was never made, as there was no trace of the “prostitute”.

Hearing that his twice daughter –in-law was pregnant Judah ordered that she would be sentenced to death. But after Tamar sent him his ring, staff and cord Judah realised he was the father, so he had Tamar released. She gave birth to twins, Perez and Zerah. They never had sexual intercourse again.

 

Tamar’s dramatic story reveals the compassionate heart of God: 

according to the Gospel of Matthew one of the two sons born from this “indecent relationship”, Perez, was an ancestor of King David and thus of Christ himself.

 

This is a rather rare subject, that one occasionally finds in Dutch paintings:

- in the 16th century it was painted by Maarten van Heemskerck (destroyed in 1945), Lucas Gassel and Jan van Hemessen;

- in the 17th century by painters from Rembrandt’s circle, such as Gerbrandt van den Eeckhout, Jan Victors, Ferdinand Bol and Arent de Gelder.

 

 

Flemish painter

Hulst 1528 – 1598 Antwerp

 

Mostaert was born into a family of painters: 

- Gillis’ twin brother, Frans was also a painter;

- according to the painters’ biographer Karel van Mander their father had been a painter;

- both boys studied in Haarlem with their grandfather, Jan (circa 1475 – 1552/53). Jan was an important painter of religious scenes and of portraits.

 

After this early training Gillis studied with Jan Mandijn, while his brother Frans studied with Herri met de Bles.

 

Gillis became master in the Painter’s Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp in the year 1554/55. His brother Frans joined the guild possibly before him. 

Gillis remained active in this town until his death in 1598.

Frans died already at a young age, in 1560, possibly due to the plague.

 

Gillis married in Antwerp in 1563 Margareta Baes; the couple had many children. The painters Pieter Baltens and Crispijn van den Broeck were the godfathers of two of them.

 

Gillis, painted genre scenes and landscapes and village scenes with groups of figures (for example at market and fair days). He was foremost a narrative figure painter.

He was also active as a staffage painter, painting the figures in landscapes of colleagues, such as Cornelis van Dalem, Ambrosius Francken, Jacob Grimmer (between 1554 and 1589), Cornelis Molenaer (circa 1540 – 1589), Hendrik van Steenwijck I, Maarten de Vos and Hans Vredeman de Vries.

 

Gillis was the master of the landscape painter Gillis van Coninxloo II, Frans of Jan Soens and of Bartholomeus Spranger.

 

 

Because this broad composition shows an attractive late 16th century imaginary town view.