Artwork
Dymphna and her Companions about to Embark
Dymphna and her Companions about to Embark is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Goswin van der Weyden. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1504 by Goswin van der Weyden, the work falls within the genre of religious art, illustrating a pivotal episode from the saint's life story.
The painting depicts the religious narrative of Saint Dymphna and her companions preparing for departure. As the main subject, Dymphna is shown alongside her entourage at a harbor setting. The scene includes specific architectural and nautical elements such as a weigh house, a treadwheel crane, and a longboat, which contextualize the moment of embarkation.
Created in 1504 by Goswin van der Weyden, the work falls within the genre of religious art, illustrating a pivotal episode from the saint's life story.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1504, this religious work by Goswin van der Weyden is an oil painting on an oak panel support. The composition measures 123 cm in height and 75 cm in width. Visually, the piece depicts Saint Dymphna alongside her companions preparing to board a longboat within a harbor setting.
The background features specific architectural and mechanical elements, including a weigh house and a treadwheel crane, which anchor the sacred narrative in a detailed, recognizable environment.
History & Provenance
The painting Dymphna and her Companions about to Embark was created by Goswin van der Weyden in 1504. Executed in oil paint on an oak panel, the work measures 123 cm in height and 75 cm in width. The piece depicts the religious narrative of Saint Dymphna alongside a harbor scene featuring a weigh house, a treadwheel crane, and a longboat.
Current records indicate the artwork is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it is also associated with The Phoebus Foundation.
Overview
Created in 1504 by Flemish painter Goswin van der Weyden, this oil on canvas presents a small group gathered on a waterfront ready to set out. The central figure, a woman in an elaborately trimmed pink gown, holds a modest bag, while three male companions and another woman stand nearby. Behind them a modest town with a church, river and docked vessels completes the scene.
Context
During the early sixteenth century, Antwerp’s harbor was a bustling hub of commerce and travel, a setting frequently chosen by artists to symbolize departure, trade, or pilgrimage. This painting reflects that cultural milieu, embedding a saint’s narrative within a recognizable local environment.
Artist & collection
Artist
Goswin van der Weyden or Goossen van der Weyden (1455–1543) was a Flemish Renaissance painter active in Antwerp.
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King Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba
Portrait of a Female Donor
The Seven Works of Mercy
Heimsuchung Mariae zwischen St. Ursula mit den Zehntausend Jungfrauen und St. Martha. Aussenseiten der Flügel: Verkündigung Mariae
King Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery
The Visitation with a portrait of donor Johann von Hirtz (?-?)
The Seven Works of Mercy
Flucht der hll. Cantius, Cantianus und Cantianilla (Innenseite); Christus am Ölberg (Außenseite)
Justice of Emperor Otto III: The Trial by Fire- Dymphna’s Father Proposes to her
