What movement is Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis?

Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

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Museum-quality prints of Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis

Otto van Veen , 1606

Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Otto van Veen. It dates from 1606 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting illustrates the diplomatic meeting that ended the Batavian revolt, showing Claudius Civilis and Roman officer Cerealis negotiating peace.

The painting illustrates the diplomatic meeting that ended the Batavian revolt, showing Claudius Civilis and Roman officer Cerealis negotiating peace. Van Veen uses gestures and exchanged documents to symbolize mutual agreement and the restoration of order, reflecting the political significance of reconciliation within the Dutch Republic.

The work is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection, commissioned by the States Council committee.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel, measuring 38 cm in height and 52 cm in width. Otto van Veen created the piece in 1606, depicting the peace negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis. The painting was commissioned by the gecommitteerde Raad van State and is part of the Rijksmuseum collection.

History & Provenance

Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis was created by Otto van Veen in 1606, executed in oil paint. According to Wikidata, the work was commissioned by the gecommitteerde Raad van State, the delegated Council of State of the Dutch Republic, indicating it was produced as an official commission rather than an independent artistic initiative. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held. No intermediate ownerships, prior collections, or transfer histories are documented in the available sources.

The work was executed on panel and measures 38 by 52 centimeters. Its 1606 inception date is consistent with the broader series of history paintings Otto van Veen produced for the Council of State during the early seventeenth century, depicting episodes from the Batavian revolt against Rome.

The work is held in the Rijksmuseum collection and is catalogued under its Rijksmuseum inventory number. It was exhibited in the museum’s 2019 exhibition "Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum," and previously featured in the 2015 exhibition "Otto van Veen: The Life of a Painter," both held at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Context

Otto van Veen's 1606 oil painting depicting Claudius Civilis negotiating with Cerealis reflects diplomatic themes within Dutch Golden Age art. Created for the States General commission, its commissioning context and stylistic elements situate it within van Veen's broader oeuvre of historical narratives. The work exemplifies 17th-century approaches to allegorical representation of political subjects, blending classical influences with contemporary state symbolism.

Its preservation at the Rijksmuseum provides insight into early Dutch state patronage and artistic interpretations of peace processes.

Scholarly analysis emphasizes its significance as a rare example of van Veen's independent painting practice prior to his prominence as Rubens' mentor, highlighting evolving compositional techniques in early Baroque Dutch art.

Overview

Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Cerealis is an oil painting by Otto van Veen, created in 1606. It is a representation of a historical event, currently held at the Rijksmuseum.