Battle for the Gold Staff (Dominion of the World)

Adam Willaerts, c. 1615 - c. 1630

Two gentlemen vie for control of a gold staff. It symbolizes dominion over the world’s seas. For whoever rules the sea, controls trade, beggars his foes, and becomes rich himself. The man at the right stands for the Netherlands, the one at the left for Spain. The men next to them personifying England and Venice, among other nations, look on in suspense. The scene in the background, the Republic’s naval victory at Gibraltar in 1607, seems to predict who will triumph.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-4116
  • Dimensionssupport: height 38.4 cm x width 55.9 cm x thickness 0.5 cm, outer size: depth 6 cm (support incl. frame)
  • Physical characteristicsoil on panel

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • Allegory of the Victory of the Dutch over the Spanish Fleet at Gibraltar, 25 April 1607
    • Battle for the Gold Staff (Dominion of the World)

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-4116

  • Description

    Allegorie op de overwinning van de Hollandse op de Spaanse vloot bij Gibraltar, 25 april 1607. Op het strand op de voorgrond een schermutseling tussen een Hollander en een Spanjaard om een stok terwijl anderen, waaronder een Engelsman en een Venetiaan, toekijken. Op de achtergrond woedt in de verte de zeeslag.

  • Part of catalogue

Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Adam Willaerts

  • Dating

    c. 1615 - c. 1630

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil on panel

  • Dimensions

    • support: height 38.4 cm x width 55.9 cm x thickness 0.5 cm
    • outer size: depth 6 cm (support incl. frame)

This work is about

  • Person

  • Subject

  • Place

  • Period

    1607-04-25

Acquisition and rights

  • Acquisition

    • purchase 1965-05-18
    • interne vervaardiging 1965-05-18

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    …; sale, Amsterdam (Mak van Waay), 7 May 1963, no. 487;…; sale, Amsterdam (Mak van Waay), 18 May 1965, no. 606, as Abraham Willaerts, fl. 2,405, to the museum

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.

Documentation

  • Documentatiemap Schilderijen: Peter Klein, Rapport dendrochonologisch onderzoek eikenhouten paneel, Universiteit van Hamburg 29 april 2005. [Creatie is aannemelijk vanaf 1599].

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