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The punishment of Penelope's servants

Maker

After
(artist)
1606-1669

After
(artist)
1504-1570

Title

The punishment of Penelope's servants

Medium

Pen and black ink, grey wash, over graphite, on laid paper, laid down on a historic secondary support, also laid paper, likely a former album page; verso of support has black chalk offset of D.1948.XX.21.4.1

Dimensions

Height: 20.8 cm
Width: 31.3 cm

Accession Number

D.1948.XX.21.4.2

Mode of Acquisition

Unknown, gift, 1948

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords




Provenance

James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres (1847-1913) [his bookplate on inside cover]; by descent to David Alexander Robert Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford and 11th Earl of Balcarres (1900-1975); by whom presented to The Courtauld, 13 August 1948

Literature

Béguin, Sylvie, Jean Guillaume and Alan Roy, La galerie d’Ulysse à Fontainebleau, Paris, 1985
p. 292, under no. 42

Inscriptions

Watermark: centre: large Strasburg lily (sits over chain lines at 25.19, 22.95 and 24.65 respectively). Historic support, verso, left centre: possibly a mark, but unable to discern - does not appear to be the same thin Strasburg lily as on the other support sheets up to this point.

Inscription: Recto: lower left, blak ink, 'AMD' in monogram: TvT AMD. 42.; lower margin, black ink: Apres avoir mis à mort les poursuivans de penelope, ulÿsse faict venir ses femmes, qui la ruinoient / sous pretexte de la servir et ordonne de la punition qui leur estoit deuë. Ce qui nous apprend, / qu’un prince qui veut faire regner la justice dans son pays, la doit commencer par ses domestiques, quand / ils luy sont infideles. [Having put Penelope’s suitors to death, Ulysses brings together the women, who were destroying her under the pretext of serving her, and gives orders for the punishment which is their due. When a Prince wishes to rule his country justly, he must begin with the servants when they are unfaithful.]

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