Jupiter, Disguised as a Shepherd, Seducing Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory

Jupiter, Disguised as a Shepherd, Seducing Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory

SK-A-3886

signature and date, centre right: ‘JdWit 1727’ JdWit 1727

The subjects for this painting and its pendant (right of the mantelpiece) come from the Metamorphoses, famous stories by the Roman author Ovid. In both scenes, Jupiter, king of the gods, disguised himself in order to seduce a maiden. Here, he is seen as a shepherd courting Mnemosyne. In the other painting, he passes himself off as Diana, goddess of the hunt, in order to charm her nymph Callisto.

R.J.A. te Rijdt, 'Miscellenea 3', Delineavit et Sculpsit 17 (1997), p. 60-62.

• painter: Jacob de Wit (signed by artist)
• opdrachtgever: Jan Baptist de Surmont van Vlooswijk

1727

olieverf op doek

height 240 cm x width 205 cm

purchase 1955-01

Public domain

Inv.; …; Commissioned by Jan Baptist de Surmont, Lord van Vlooswijk en Cromwijk (1688-1745), Loenen aan de Vecht and Amsterdam, for his house in Loenen aan de Vecht;{Mandle 1975, p. 17} his widow, Margaretha Catharina Cromhout (1688-1755), Loenen aan de Vecht and Amsterdam; her daughter, Elisabeth Louise de Surmont van Vlooswijk (1725-1779), Amsterdam;{Te Rijdt 1997, p. 62, note 5.};…; the house, Loenen aan de Vecht, was demolished before 1837; ... ; purchased from the dealer John Bell of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, by the dealer D.A. Hoogendijk, Amsterdam, 1954;{RKD, The Hague, inv. no. 460, Kunsthandel D.A. Hoogendijk Archive, no. OS 1621a-b.} from whom, fl. 7,500, with SK-A-3886, to the museum, 1955

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.

R.J.A. te Rijdt, 'Miscellenea 3', Delineavit et Sculpsit 17 (1997), p. 60-62.

To refer to this object, please use the following persistent URL:

https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200110474