Noli mi tangere
Jan Brueghel il Giovane (Anversa 1601–1678) bottega di
Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp 1601–1678)
workshop of
Noli me tangere
Oil on canvas
97 x 128 cm
In frame 114 x 143 cm
This is a fascinating work, both for its subject, featuring Christ and Mary Magdalene, and for its execution, displaying all the distinctive characteristics of the Flemish painter Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp 1601–1678), son of one of the most important dynasties of Flemish painters, being the heir of Jan Brueghel the Elder and nephew of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, from whom he inherited the family workshop.
It depicts the biblical episode known as “Noli me tangere” and represents the appearance of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene, who mistakes him for “the gardener”. For this reason, Christ is often depicted holding a spade, precisely to represent Mary Magdalene's mistake in not recognising him immediately in the biblical account.
Once his identity is revealed, Christ utters the famous phrase Noli me tangere (Latin for “do not hold me”), urging Mary Magdalene to let him go and to tell the disciples of his resurrection.
This is a theme dear to 17th-century iconography and was taken up several times by Jan Brueghel the Younger or his workshop, with variations and often in collaboration with other painters who worked on the figures, from the early versions with Hendrick van Balen and Jan Van Kesse to the partnership with artists from the workshop of Pierre Paul Rubens.
We can mention, by way of comparison, the “Noli me tangere” by Jan Brueghel the Younger, in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy (fig.1), the “Noli me tangere” in the Kunsthalle in Bremen (fig. 2) by Jan Bruegel the Younger with Peter Paul Rubens, or the painting with the same subject, attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger and Victor Wolfvoet, which passed through Schloss Ahlden (fig. 3).
A composition similar to ours in many details - from the tree on the right, with white hydrangeas and pink roses, to the stone fountain, the presence of the orange tree and the two ducks - is “Allegory of Love” by Jan Jan Brueghel the Younger, on display at the Venaria Reale in Turin (fig. 4).
The scene is orchestrated with the typical opulence that has always distinguished the works of the flourishing Brueghel workshop, with the two figures framed by a vast landscape where colourful flowers bloom and trees are laden with ripe fruit, in a clear allusion to the earthly paradise.
Every detail is rendered with meticulous attention to detail: the birds, the flowering plants, various garden produce scattered on the ground: each element is placed in a harmonious composition and rendered with meticulousness and delicacy, giving us a work that is both rich and extremely refined.
The quality of the rich palette, with its vigorous accents of colour, deserves praise, enhancing the painting and creating a luminous atmosphere, immersing the scene in a soft light with fairy-tale accents.
The landscape in the background is enchanting, with a city with fortified walls and a circular building alluding to the Temple of Jerusalem. In the centre, a hill dotted with trees shelters the open tomb of Christ, carved into the rock, with the three Marys who have just arrived at the tomb to find it empty.
Finally, on the left, Mount Golgotha with four crosses, one more than usual, according to a typical feature of some works from the Brueghel workshop (cf. Crucifixion, workshop of Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, La Spezia): according to some scholars, the fourth cross represents the submission of the Flemish people to Spanish rule during the siege of Ghent, in the context of the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is sold complete with a nice frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, where we will be happy to welcome you and show you our collection of works.
Please contact us, without obligation, for any further information.
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