Construction of the Tower of Babel, Flemish painter 17th-18th century

Flemish painter 17th-18th century
Building the Tower of Babel

Oil painting on canvas

51 x 64 cm. – In frame 66 x 78 cm

If there is a subject in art that has been revisited several times throughout the ages in an ever new and original vision closely linked to the individual sensitivity of the author, the Tower of Babel perfectly embodies these requirements. And our work, created by a Flemish painter active between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, is a rare and valuable testimony to this.

An ancient subject, a myth and an ever-present metaphor, which in art has always had the power to teleport the observer to another world, making him curious and fascinated.

We cannot fail to mention the very famous Tower of Babel by Bruegel the Elder, which represents the perfect example of this sensation, and in general the many other works that the best Flemish painters wanted to create to honour this theme, displaying incredible pictorial and inventive qualities.

Although the product of the author's imagination, let us remember that the Tower of Babel is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic stories in the Bible, cited in the book of Genesis (11,1-9[1]), where it is said that men decided to build a city and a tower whose top would reach Heaven.

But God, seeing the excessive ambition and unity of men, who dominated the earth in peaceful union and with a single language, decided to create confusion and prevented the completion of the structure, confusing their languages ​​so that they could no longer understand each other and leading to the dispersion of the peoples.

At the bottom left we see the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, a symbol of pride, followed by a group of courtiers and soldiers and portrayed while the architect shows him his work, astonished by the workers.

In the background, the protagonist of the canvas, stands out the imposing construction along the banks of the Euphrates River, consisting of a complex structure that incorporates several eclectically overlapping architectural styles, drawn from the Italian Renaissance tradition with the addition of elements from a decidedly more medieval and Northern European tradition.

Observing the details, we can lose ourselves in admiring the fervent activity of the builders, with the small figures who work up and down the ramps to carry out the majestic work as quickly as possible.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is completed by a pleasant golden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

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