Lot 192
Hans von Aachen (1552 - 1615) DIANA RESTING AFTER THE HUNT

140 x 108 cm (h x w)

Starting price
2 000 000 CZK
   |   80 000 €
Price realized
4 800 000 CZK
   |   192 000 €
price without premium
Assessment: PhDr. Eliška Fučíková Restoration report: Martin Martan Color analysis: Dorothea Pechová PhDr. Eliška Fučíková's assessment: Two works on the same subject are listed in the 1621 inventory of the Imperial Collections (Zimmermann 1905): The first is listed as being "In des Kaisers schreibstüblein aufm gesimbs (Nr. 1375, Diana mit einem weisen hirschen von Hasen von Acha. Orig.)," and the second was "Im andern gang an der Mauer bei den fastern (Nr. 1178, Diana mit ihrn jungfrauen von Hansen von Acha. Orig.)." The painting depicting one of the girls in Diana's entourage carrying a hunted white stag occupied a prominent place in the emperor's study. No caught animals are mentioned for the other painting. A painting of Diana resting after hunting recently appeared in a Czech private collection. The restorer's investigation of the painting reaches the conclusion that the painting corresponds to the approach characteristic for works personally painted by von Aachen. It is painted on a light ash-colored background. The pigments identified, lead white, lead tin yellow, azurite, smalt, and black, correspond to those used in von Aachen's time and von Aachen's paintings. Infrared and x-ray images show an underlying sketch and a number of minor changes (pentimenti) typical in von Aachen's works. This painting is a major addition to von Aachen's oeuvre and it very likely was a part of the Rudolf II's collection at Prague Castle.