- Museum number
- 1899,0713.216
- Description
-
The Parable of Dives and Lazarus, study for a triptych painting; a table placed under an open loggia at centre, Dives flanked by two ladies, a buffet and two serving men behind, Lazarus at left sitting at the gate with dogs licking his sores, above his soul being taken to heaven, in a chamber behind at right the death of Dives, his soul being tormented by demons below. c.1521
Pen and black ink, with grey wash, heightened with white, on grey prepared paper
- Production date
- 1521 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 386 millimetres
-
Width: 540 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Although related in subject to the Job triptych representing the trials of Job and the Parable of Dives and Lazarus in the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, inv.no.1822 (signed and dated by Bernard van Orley in 1521), this drawing differs in composition. John Hand attributes the drawing to Pieter Coecke van Aelst and describes it as possibly a design for a tapestry or possibly another painting. Stijn Alsteens attributes this drawing to the circle of Van Orley, and notes that it is too refined compared to other drawings securely attributed to Van Orley; and he concludes that is must herefore belong to Van Orley's circle, and the early date of 1521 excludes Coecke as a possibility. Alsteens notes the similarities between this sheet and the History of David drawings (five design drawings in the BM for the Story of David tapestry series, 1853,1008.13-17) and suggests an anonymous gifted artist active in Van Orley's workshop in the first half of the 1520s. This attribution is upheld in the Van Orley exhibition (Brussels, 2019) where this drawing was exhibited.
The drawing was restored by Frank Nowlan in 1899 (Jacob Simon, 'British Picture Restorers, 1630-1950', NPG website).
Literature: M. Friedländer, in Prussian Jahrbuch, 1909, p.92, note 2; A.E. Popham, 'Drawings of the Early Flemish School', London, 1926, cat.no.64 (as Orley); M. Friedländer, 'Altniederländische Malerei VIII: Jan Gossaert - Bernaert van Orley', Leiden, 1930, pp.107-08 (8[1972], pp.66-67); Baldass, 1944, p.171; Farmer, 1981, pp.128-30, 275, 344, no.D12; Wayment, 1982, p.146; J.O. Hand et al., 'The Age of Bruegel: Netherlandish Drawings in the Sixteenth Century', exh.cat. National Gallery of Art Washington and Pierpont Morgan Library New York, Cambridge, 1986-87, pp.117-119, cat.no.38 (as Attributed to Pieter Coecke van Aelst); K.G. Boon, 'De Glasschilder David Joris, Een Exponent van het Doperse Geloof', in AWLSK Klasse der Schone Kunsten, Jaargang 49/1, 1988, p.120, fig.1; S. Alsteens, 'The Drawings of Pieter Coecke van Aeslt' Master Drawings LII:3 (2014) fig. 27 (as circle of Van Orley) and pp. 298-299; V. Bücken and I. De Meuter, eds. 'Bernard van Orley' (Brussels, Bozar 2019) cat. no. 13 (as anonymous workshop member of Van Orley).
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1973, BM, Netherlandish prints and drawings (no cat.)
1986/7 Nov-Jan, Washington, NGA, 'The Age of Bruegel', (cat.)
2019 20 Feb-26 May, Brussels, Centre for Fine Arts, Bernard van Orley
- Acquisition date
- 1899
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1899,0713.216