dutch-and-flemish-painters:Lucas Gassel - The Temptations of Christ - oil on oak panel, 41.6 by 54 c
dutch-and-flemish-painters:Lucas Gassel - The Temptations of Christ - oil on oak panel, 41.6 by 54 cmThe temptation of Christ is a biblical narrative detailed in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days and nights in the Judaean Desert. During this time, Satan came to Jesus and tried to tempt him. Jesus having refused each temptation, Satan then departed and Jesus returned to Galilee to begin his ministry. During this entire time of spiritual battle, Jesus was fasting.The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews also refers to Jesus having been tempted “in every way that we are, except without sin.”Mark’s account is very brief, merely noting the event. Matthew and Luke describe the temptations by recounting the details of the conversations between Jesus and Satan. Since the elements that are in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark are mostly pairs of quotations rather than detailed narration, many scholars believe these extra details originate in the theoretical Q Document. The temptation of Christ is not explicitly mentioned in the Gospel of John but in this gospel Jesus does refer to the Devil, “the prince of this world”, having no power over him.Lucas Gassel or Lucas van Gassel (Deurne, Netherlands, 1480–1500 – 1568 or 1569) was a Flemish Renaissance painter and draughtsman known for his landscapes. He helped further develop and modernize the landscape tradition in Flanders. He also designed prints which were published by the Antwerp publisher Hieronymus Cock.He painted landscapes and architectural studies without regard for realistic depiction. He continued in the mid-sixteenth century the ‘world landscape’ tradition of wide landscape vistas created by the likes of Joachim Patinir in the Southern Netherlands. In contrast to Patinir Gassel’s landscapes are bustling with life and activity. In the foreground of his landscapes with rivers and mountains, and of his cityscapes with palaces and leisure gardens, his staffage pose in parables from the Bible, classical subjects, courtly leisure pursuits or every day life. These characters are mainly pretexts to present the panoramic view in which they are included. He managed to mix fantastic rocky masses and a refined world of sweetness.His landscapes follow the tradition established by Joachim Patinir and Herri met de Bles who structured their landscapes on a diagonal axis and using a division in three tones. Gassel’s landscapes modernised this style by accentuating the graphic aspect, their preference for dull colors and the reduction of the level of detail.Luc Gassel painted at least four versions of episodes from the Biblical story of David and Bathsheba in the grounds of a Renaissance Palace (Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, the collection of the Duke of Palmela in Lisbon, the collection of Doctor Restrelli and at De Jonckheere Gallery in 2018). In addition to various scenes depicting the Biblical story, the paintings also depict entertainments and games popular at royal courts in the 16th century. In the middle of the Renaissance garden is a large maze. In the foreground can be seen one of the first depictions of tennis in European art. Other games portrayed in the paintings are boule á l’anneau (hoop ball), which involves hitting a ball under hoops using a wooden stick, a forerunner of croquet. In the version at De Jonckheere Gallery in 2018, the steep cliffs show his indebtedness to Herri met de Bles, while the forest across the hills, allows him to use a whole range of greens. -- source link