Artwork
Neptune and Amphitrite
Neptune and Amphitrite is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Roman sea god Neptune and his consort Amphitrite enthroned together, a scene derived from classical mythology.
The painting depicts the Roman sea god Neptune and his consort Amphitrite enthroned together, a scene derived from classical mythology. Teniers renders them in a rustic, genre-like setting rather than a grand marine palace, emphasizing their humanized presence. Neptune’s trident and Amphitrite’s crown identify them unambiguously, while the putto holding a shell alludes to their mythic context.
The composition merges mythological subject matter with the intimacy of a domestic interior, suggesting a playful or moralizing reinterpretation of ancient themes.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1645, this mythological scene by David Teniers the Younger is an oil painting applied on a copper support. The work measures 28.8 cm in height and 36.3 cm in width. The composition depicts the classical figures Neptune and Amphitrite, rendered with the fine detail characteristic of small-scale copper panels from this period. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
History & Provenance
The painting Neptune and Amphitrite was created in 1645 by David Teniers the Younger on copper, depicting the mythological scene of Neptune and Amphitrite. It is part of the permanent collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it has been displayed since its acquisition. The work entered the museum's collection through a documented transfer that established its provenance within the institution's holdings.
Neptune and Amphitrite is held in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, as recorded in the painting's catalogue entry. The work belongs to the museum's permanent collection, where it is documented as an oil-on-copper mythological scene painted by David Teniers the Younger in 1645.
The sources provided do not include a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they document any past exhibitions, loans, or display history for the painting.
Overview
David Teniers the Younger’s 1645 work “Neptune and Amphitrite” presents a mythic tableau on a copper support. The composition centers on the sea god Neptune, a bearded, muscular figure clutching a trident and a parasol‑like staff, and his consort Amphitrite, robed in a vivid red mantle. They stand upon a craggy shoreline while a tumultuous sky and churning sea frame the scene.
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Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
