Who painted Appelles painting Campaspe?

Appelles painting Campaspe was painted by Willem van Haecht in 1630-01-01.

Where can I see Appelles painting Campaspe?

Appelles painting Campaspe is held by Mauritshuis.

What movement is Appelles painting Campaspe?

Appelles painting Campaspe is associated with Flemish Baroque painting.

Artwork

Appelles painting Campaspe

Willem van Haecht , 1630

Appelles painting Campaspe is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Willem van Haecht. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.

About this work

Technique & Style

Stylistically, the piece functions as an interior view and a genre scene, depicting a complex art collection environment.

Willem van Haecht created Appelles painting Campaspe in 1630 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 104.9 cm in height and 148.7 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as an interior view and a genre scene, depicting a complex art collection environment.

The composition includes numerous specific artworks within the scene, such as The Battle of the Amazons, The Death of Cleopatra, and Venus Blindfolding Cupid, alongside figures like Diana and her nymphs. This dense arrangement of depicted paintings and sculptures characterizes the formal approach of the piece, situating it within the tradition of gallery paintings that showcase the breadth of a collector's holdings.

History & Provenance

The work was created in 1630 by Willem van Haecht as an oil painting on panel, commissioned by Prince Maurice of Orange and later entered the collection of Prince Willem V of Orange, who housed it in the Mauritshuis gallery. After the prince's death the painting remained in the Dutch royal collection before being transferred to the Mauritshuis where it has been displayed since the mid‑19th century. The work measures 104.9 cm by 148.7 cm and depicts a richly detailed interior view of an art collector's gallery, showing several paintings and objects that reflect the owner's taste and the artistic milieu of the Dutch Golden Age.

The painting is currently held at the Mauritshuis. Prior to entering the museum, the work passed through several notable collections. Historically, it was owned by Cornelis van der Geest, followed by the collection of Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau.

It was also part of the Gallery Prince Willem V and the Department of Paintings of the Louvre before its present location at the Mauritshuis.

Overview

Willem van Haecht’s oil painting Apelles painting Campaspe, executed in 1630, belongs to the Flemish Baroque tradition and is classified as a genre scene. The canvas presents an imagined gallery filled with framed artworks and statues, populated by elegantly dressed figures. It is part of the Mauritshuis collection in The Hague.

Subject & Meaning

The composition references several classical myths: the love of Apollo for the courtesan Campaspe, the chase of Daphne by Apollo, and the huntress Diana with her nymphs, alongside a still‑life of flowers in a vase. By gathering these narratives together, van Haecht creates a visual catalogue of antiquity’s favorite themes.

Context

Van Haecht was known for works that staged imagined galleries, a popular motif among Flemish painters who catered to a market of connoisseurs and collectors. The inclusion of the artist himself holding a sketch underscores the self‑referential nature of the piece, linking the act of painting to the act of collecting.