''Daniel in the Lions' Den'' is a painting from around 1615 by the

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

artist

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...

that is displayed in the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

in Washington, D.C. It depicts

Daniel Daniel commonly refers to: * Daniel (given name), a masculine given name and a surname * List of people named Daniel * List of people with surname Daniel * Daniel (biblical figure) * Book of Daniel, a biblical apocalypse, "an account of the acti ...

in the biblical story of

Daniel in the lions' den Daniel in the lions' den (chapter 6 of the Book of Daniel) tells of how the biblical Daniel is saved from Asiatic lions by the God of Israel "because I was found blameless before him" (Daniel 6:22). It parallels and complements chapter 3, the ...

. He was a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

prophet who was thrown into a den of lions for defying a royal decree that prohibited

praying File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

to anyone but the king. Daniel miraculously survived, protected by his unwavering faith in God. The painting was initially owned by

Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester (10 March 1573 – 15 February 1632) was an English art collector, diplomat and Secretary of State. Early life He was the second son of Anthony Carleton of Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, and of Joyce ...

. It was later presented to King

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. Charles was born ...

, who displayed it in the Bear Gallery at the

Palace of Whitehall The Palace of Whitehall – also spelled White Hall – at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, ...

. Over the centuries, the painting changed hands multiple times, eventually becoming part of the

Hamilton Palace Hamilton Palace was a country house in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Hamilton and is widely acknowledged as having been one of the grandest houses in the British Isles.classical sculpture Classical sculpture (usually with a lower case "c") refers generally to sculpture from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, as well as the Hellenized and Romanized civilizations under their rule or influence, from about 500 BC to around 200 AD. It ...

s and

Italian Renaissance painting Italian Renaissance painting is the painting of the period beginning in the late 13th century and flourishing from the early 15th to late 16th centuries, occurring in the Italian Peninsula, which was at that time divided into many political stat ...

, is depicted as a young man, even though the biblical account suggests he was much older.

Description

The size of the painting is approximately and is painted in

oil paint Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. Oil paint also has practical advantages over other paints, mainly because it is waterproof. The earliest surviving ...

on canvas. According to the National Gallery of Art, it combines "realism and theatricality" to draw a "strong emotional reaction". Several of the lions in the painting seem to stare directly at the viewer, which can make the viewer feel that they are invading the lions' space, just as Daniel is doing. The lions were painted life-size to heighten their immediate menace. The subject is from the Book of Daniel, 6:1–28. Rubens may have based the lioness on a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

bronze sculpture from

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

, but he stated in his letter to Carleton that the lions were "done from life". Rubens had access to exotic animals due to his role as a

court painter A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or princely family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Painters were the most common, but the cour ...

for

Albert VII, Archduke of Austria Albert VII (; 13 November 1559 – 13 July 1621) was the ruling Archduke of Austria for a few months in 1619 and, jointly with his wife, Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1598 and 1621. Prior to this, he had ...

and

Isabella Clara Eugenia Isabella Clara Eugenia (; 12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633), sometimes referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia, was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, which comprised the Low Countries and the north of modern France, with her husband Albert ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. He would have had direct access to the royal

menagerie A menagerie is a collection of captive animals, frequently exotic, kept for display; or the place where such a collection is kept, a precursor to the modern zoo or zoological garden. The term was first used in 17th-century France, referring to ...

, where the archdukes kept exotic animals, including lions. Dutch painter

Jacob Campo Weyerman Jacob Campo Weyerman (9 August 1677 – 9 March 1747) was a painter and writer during the period known as the Dutch Enlightenment. His work encompassed flower and fruit still life paintings, satirical magazines, plays, and biographies of painter ...

recounted an occasion in Ruben's studio when Rubens tickled a lion to make it open its mouth and provide the right expression to be studied. There is possibility that Rubens studied two live lions in

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, called Flandria and Brabantia. The lions in the painting may be a Moroccan subspecies which was already extinct in the wild at the time it was created. The painting shows Daniel as a young man. However, according to Biblical chronology, Daniel would have been over 80 years old at that time. Although it shows Daniel praying, this detail is not included in Daniel chapter 6, but it is mentioned in the

deuterocanonical The deuterocanonical books, meaning 'of, pertaining to, or constituting a second Biblical canon, canon', collectively known as the Deuterocanon (DC), are certain books and passages considered to be Biblical canon, canonical books of the Old ...

Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen refers to a fourteenth Chapter (books), chapter in a book. Chapter Fourteen, Chapter 14, or Chapter XIV may also refer to: Music * Chapter 14 (band), an American post-hardcore/alternative rock band from Carlsbad, California Telev ...

Background

The

artist

was born in

Siegen Siegen () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg (region), Arnsberg region. The university town (n ...

, Nassau, to

Jan Rubens Jan Rubens (; ; 1530–1587) was a Flemish lawyer and city administrator of Antwerp, then located in the Spanish Netherlands. A convert to Calvinism, he fled Antwerp with his family because of the suppression of Protestantism in the Spanish Nethe ...

and

Maria Pypelincks Maria Pypelinckx (20 March 1538 – 19 October 1608) was a writer from the Southern Netherlands, best known today as the mother of the painter Peter Paul Rubens. Early life Pypelinckx was born in Kuringen, now a part of Hasselt, as the daughter o ...

.Gustaaf Segers, ''De moeder van Rubens. Biographische schets''
in: De Vlaamsche Kunstbode. Jaargang 7 (1877), pp. 211-216 He was converted to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

shortly before his father's death on 1587 and raised from the age of 10 as a Catholic, due to the threat from Magistrate of

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

to expel every

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

from the city. Though the painting's materials and techniques are typical of Flemish artists from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The constructive method and technique evident in this painting resemble those of Leonardo,

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

Palma Vecchio Palma Vecchio ( – 30 July 1528), born Jacopo Palma, also known as Jacopo Negretti, was a Venetian painter of the Italian High Renaissance. He is called Palma Vecchio in English and Palma il Vecchio in Italian ("Palma the Elder") to distingu ...

Tintoretto Jacopo Robusti (late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594), best known as Tintoretto ( ; , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized th ...

, Andrea del Sarto,

Veronese Veronese is the Italian word denoting someone or something from Verona, Italy and may refer to: * Veronese Riddle, a popular riddle in the Middle Ages * Veronese (moth), ''Veronese'' (moth), a moth genus in the family Crambidae * Monte Veronese, ...

, and some painters from

Bolognese School The Bolognese school of painting, also known as the ''school of Bologna'', flourished between the 16th and 17th centuries in Bologna, which rivalled Florence and Rome as the center of painting in Italy. Its most important representatives in ...

. ''Daniel in the Lions' Den'' was created after Rubens had returned to

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

from Italy at the start of the

Twelve Years' Truce The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Habsburg Spain, Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like Kingdom of France, France began tre ...

in 1609. Rubens had spent eight years in Italy, supported by commissions from the

Duke of Mantua During its Timeline of Mantua, history as independent entity, Mantua had different rulers who governed on the city and the lands of Mantua from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. From 970 to 1115, the Counts of Mantua were members of ...

. During this time, he was also deeply influenced by sculptures by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for som ...

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

, and

Annibale Carracci Annibale Carracci ( , , ; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with his brother Agostino Carracci, Agostino and cousin Ludovico Carracci, Ludovico (with whom the Ca ...

.E The expression on

's face may show this influence, as it is similar to those on the sculpture of the ''Dying Alexander'' and ''The Penitent Saint Jerome'' by

Girolamo Muziano Girolamo Muziano or Mutiani ( – 1592), was an Italian painter, one of the most prominent artists active in Rome in the mid-to-late sixteenth century. Life He was born in Acquafredda, near Brescia, but worked mainly in Rome. Accounts from the ...

. Rubens would have encountered both of these works while in Italy. The painting may have been started in 1612, but it is more often dated between 1613 and 1615. The reason why Rubens painted this piece, and for whom it was originally intended, is still unknown. Rachel Aviva Pollack, a researcher from the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

, suggests that this painting is a political

allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...

representing the situation during the Twelve Years' Truce, due to the inclusion of ten lions, the same number of provinces within the

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the ...

. The painting portrays Daniel, a central figure in the

Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th-century BC setting. It is ostensibly a narrative detailing the experiences and Prophecy, prophetic visions of Daniel, a Jewish Babylonian captivity, exile in Babylon ...

. He was a noble young man from

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

who was taken captive by

Nebuchadnezzar II Nebuchadnezzar II, also Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir", was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar ...

. Despite his exile, Daniel rose to prominence in the

Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...

n court, serving the king and his successors with wisdom and integrity, all while staying faithful to the

Yahweh Yahweh was an Ancient Semitic religion, ancient Semitic deity of Weather god, weather and List of war deities, war in the History of the ancient Levant, ancient Levant, the national god of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Judah, Judah and Kingdom ...

until the

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

conquest led by

Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia ( ; 530 BC), commonly known as Cyrus the Great, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Achaemenid dynasty (i. The clan and dynasty) Hailing from Persis, he brought the Achaemenid dynasty to power by defeating the Media ...

. The painting depict moment from chapter 6 of Book Of Daniel where Daniel is cast into the lions' den by

Darius the Mede Darius the Mede is mentioned in the Book of Daniel as King of Babylon between Belshazzar and Cyrus the Great, but he is not known to secular history and there is no space in the historical timeline between those two verified rulers. Belshazzar, w ...

. Daniel faces the penalty for defying a royal decree that forbids

to any god or man but the king.

Provenance

The painting's first known owner was Dudley Carleton 1st Viscount Dorchester. Carleton was the ambassador for the English king

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, and like the king, was an admirer of

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

. Rubens and Carleton met in September 1616 after Carleton had been promoted from his former ambassadorship in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. There he encountered his old acquaintances

Tobie Matthew Sir Tobie Matthew (also sometimes spelt Mathew; 3 October 157713 October 1655), born in Salisbury, was an English member of parliament and courtier who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a priest. He was sent to Spain to promote the ...

and George Gage, who went with Carleton to Antwerp, where he visited artists' studios, including Rubens's. Carleton decided to purchase '' The Wolf and Fox Hunt'' with help from Matthew, Gage and the English diplomat

William Trumbull Sir William Trumbull, PC (8 September 163914 December 1716) was an English diplomat and politician who was a member of the First Whig Junto. Early life Trumbull was born at Easthampstead Park in Berkshire and baptised on 11 September 1639. ...

, but negotiations fell through when Rubens instead sold the painting to the

Duke of Aarschot The Duke of Aarschot (or ''Aerschot'') was one of the most important aristocratic titles in the Low Countries, named after the Brabantian city of Aarschot. The title was held by the House of Croÿ and the House of Arenberg. The present Duke is Leo ...

. Rubens agreed to paint a smaller version for Carleton in exchange for a chain of diamonds. Rubens said in correspondence with Carleton that he had "repurchased" the painting, suggesting that it may have also been sold to an unknown buyer before this point. Rubens negotiated with Carleton to sell the painting to him together with works by his assistants, possibly including some painted by

Jan Brueghel the Elder Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Elder ( , ; ; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painting, Flemish painter and Draughtsmanship, draughtsman. He was the younger son of the eminent Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish ...

, in exchange for antique statues. Initially, Rubens offered 23 paintings, but Carleton only wanted those painted entirely by Rubens, including ''

Prometheus Bound ''Prometheus Bound'' () is an ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ante quem of 424 BC. The tragedy is based on the myth of Prometheus, ...

'', as well as 3,000

guilder Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' (" gold penny"). This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Rom ...

s' worth of

tapestries Tapestry is a form of textile art which was traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Normally it is used to create images rather than patterns. Tapestry is relatively fragile, and difficult to make, so most historical pieces are intended to han ...

. Rubens negotiated to include more paintings for Carleton in exchange for an additional 1,000 guilders. They settled at that price, and Rubens exchanged his paintings and 2,000 guilders for the statues. Rubens saw this deal as a loss, with Carleton as the winner. This negotiation was recorded in a letter to Carleton on 28 April 1618. In 1628, Carleton presented the painting to

in order to advance his career as Secretary of State. The painting was displayed in the Bear Gallery at the

from around 1628 to 1641, in the formal reception area leading to Charles' private chambers, as a symbol of his royal authority. The painting was hung alongside ''

Minerva Protecting Peace from Mars ''Minerva protecting Peace from Mars'' or ''Peace and War'' is a painting by Peter Paul Rubens. He produced it in London between 1629 and 1630, during a diplomatic mission from the Spanish Netherlands to Charles I of England. It is now in the Na ...

'', which Rubens had gifted to Charles during his diplomatic mission to London between May 1629 and March 1630. Charles I gave the painting to his first cousin,

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (19 June 1606 – 9 March 1649), known as the 3rd Marquess of Hamilton from March 1625 until April 1643, was a Scottish nobleman and influential political and military leader during the Thirty Years' War and ...

. The painting likely served as a symbol of Hamilton's authority as the king's representative in Scotland during the

Bishops' Wars The Bishops' Wars were two separate conflicts fought in 1639 and 1640 between Scotland and England, with Scottish Royalists allied to England. They were the first of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which also include the First and Second En ...

. It remained at

Hamilton Palace Hamilton Palace was a country house in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Hamilton and is widely acknowledged as having been one of the grandest houses in the British Isles.Christie, Manson & Woods on the first day of the sale on 17 June 1882. The painting was bought for £3,145 by a man named Duncan, who bought the work for the British politician Christopher Beckett Denison. Denison was Member of Parliament from Conservative Party for Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire from 1868 - 1880. This sale took place during the lifetime of

William Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton William Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton, 9th Duke of Brandon, 2nd Duke of Châtellerault KT (12 March 1845 – 16 May 1895), styled Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale until 1863, was a Scottish nobleman. Early ...

. At 1885, the painting was bought back by the Hamilton family from Denison, at a cost of £2,100. The painting was then inherited by

Alfred Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton Lieutenant Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton and 10th Duke of Brandon TD, DL (6 March 1862 – 16 March 1940) was a Scottish nobleman and sailor. Early life Hamilton was born at Shanklin, Isle of Wight, in 1862, the son ...

and was included again in the second sale of the Hamilton palace in 1919. In this sale, the painting was sold for £2,520. It was purchased for

Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, (15 July 1856 – 1 May 1927), known as Sir Weetman Pearson, Bt between 1894 and 1910, and as Lord Cowdray between 1910 and 1917, was an English engineer, oil industrialist, Benefactor (law), be ...

. The painting was inherited multiple times until it came to Weetman Harold Miller Pearson, 2nd viscount Cowdray, and then to his son,

John Pearson, 3rd Viscount Cowdray Lt Col (Weetman) John Churchill Pearson, 3rd Viscount Cowdray (27 February 1910 - 19 January 1995) was a British peer, businessman and polo player. Early life Weetman John Churchill Pearson and his twin sister, Angela was born on 27 Februa ...

. It was sold in 1963. The Cowdray family believed the work in their possession was a copy. Concerned by its size and by the frame, they took it to

Bonhams Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought t ...

, who misattributed it as a work by

Paul de Vos Paul de Vos (1591/92, or 1595 in Hulst – 30 June 1678 in Antwerp) was a Flemish Baroque painter who specialized in mainly in compositions of animals, hunting scenes and still lifes. He worked for an elite clientele and was a regular collaborat ...

and

Jacob Jordaens Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678Jacques Jordaens
in the Netherlands Institute for Ar ...

{the "stumpy legs" in the Daniel figure was thought to be characteristic of the artists' style). The New York

art dealer An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art, or acts as the intermediary between the buyers and sellers of art. An art dealer in contemporary art typically seeks out various artists to represent, and builds relationsh ...

Julius H. Weitzner, saw a photograph of the painting before the catalog was published. He immediately offered $1,400 to Bonhams, which they accepted, and the painting was taken off the auction. When the catalog was released, other dealers recognized it as a missing work by Rubens. An attempt was made to prevent the export license from being granted, but the painting was already in transit to New York. In December 1965, Weitzner sold the painting for over $400,000. It was sold by M. Knoedler to

in Washington D.C. on 13 December 1965, where it now hangs.

Exhibition history

''Daniel in the Lions' Den'' was exhibited in London at the 1873

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

Winter Exhibition of 1873, where it was listed as no. 131 among the works of

Old Master In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

s. Lent by James Hamilton, it was placed in the main exhibition room. The painting was exhibited again during the ''Exhibition of pictures by masters of the Flemish and British schools, including a selection from the works of Sir Peter Paul Rubens'' where it was listed as no. 145. It was hung in the New Gallery from 1899 till 1900, lent by the trustees of James Hamilton. After being bought by the National Gallery of Art, the painting was exhibited there at ''In Memoria, Ailsa Mellon Bruce'' in 1969''.'' It was shown in the 2019 ''Early Rubens'' in the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

, and was reproduced in for an exhibition that year in the

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...

for partnership with

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. FAMSF's combined attendance was 1,1 ...

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Entry at the National Gallery of Art
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniel in the Lions' Den Paintings by Peter Paul Rubens 1615 paintings Lions in art Paintings of Daniel Paintings in the National Gallery of Art Panthera leo leo History of lions in Europe