Artwork
Diogenes Throwing away his Drinking Cup
Diogenes Throwing away his Drinking Cup is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Salvator Rosa. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays the ancient philosopher Diogenes of Sinope in the act of discarding a drinking cup, symbolizing his rejection of material excess and advocacy for a life of voluntary poverty. This scene embodies the Cynic principle of self‑sufficiency and serves as a visual allegory for the virtues of simplicity and intellectual independence.
Technique & Style
The work is classified as a history painting, a genre that allowed the artist to combine narrative subject matter with ambitious figural composition.
Salvator Rosa executed Diogenes Throwing away his Drinking Cup in oil paint on canvas, working at a substantial scale of 344 cm in height by 212.5 cm in width. The work is classified as a history painting, a genre that allowed the artist to combine narrative subject matter with ambitious figural composition. The large canvas support and oil medium are consistent with the painterly handling for which Rosa is known, and the painting is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The work dates to 1651 and depicts the philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, the legendary Cynic whose renunciation of material possessions is the subject of the scene. The dimensions and oil-on-canvas format place the painting firmly within the tradition of large-scale Baroque history painting, where dramatic narrative is conveyed through the painterly manipulation of oil on a generous canvas surface.
History & Provenance
Diogenes Throwing Away His Drinking Cup was created by Salvator Rosa in 1651, executed in oil paint on canvas. The painting, which depicts the philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located. The work measures 344 cm in height by 212.5 cm in width.
The available sources do not document the original commission, the early ownership chain, or any subsequent provenance transfers prior to the painting's acquisition by the Statens Museum for Kunst. No record of intermediate owners, dealers, or acquisition dates is provided.
The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, inventoried as KMSsp720.
It was first recorded in 1651, the year of its creation. The work has remained in the museum’s holdings since its acquisition, with no subsequent permanent transfers documented.
Overview
Created in 1651, this oil painting by the Italian Baroque artist Salvator Rosa portrays a moment from the life of the ancient philosopher Diogenes of Sinope. The composition shows the cynic discarding a drinking vessel while a small group of onlookers reacts, set against a dimly lit, forested landscape. The work is part of the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst.
Artist & collection
Artist
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 15 March 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into…
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