The Battle between the Gods and the Giants

c. 1608

Joachim Antonisz. Wtewael (Dutch, c. 1566–1638)

The subject of the victory of the gods of Olympus over the ancient race of giants provided Joachim Wtewael with the opportunity to depict exaggerated athletic poses and striking contrasts of space and light. From the clouds, the Olympian gods wield their attributes as weapons: Jupiter hurls thunderbolts; Neptune brandishes his triton; and Mercury uses his caduceus as a spear. The helmeted figure on the right is Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and war. The painting’s gemlike effect results from the use of a copper support and from its small scale. The artist’s self-conscious display of his skills was a hallmark of the international style known as Mannerism, which was fashionable in Holland around 1600.

Status: On View, Gallery 213
Department: Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist: Joachim Antonisz. Wtewael
Title: The Battle between the Gods and the Giants
Place: Netherlands (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1603–1613
Medium: Oil on copper
Dimensions: 15.6 × 20.3 cm (6 1/8 × 8 in.); Framed: 24.1 × 27.3 × 3.5 cm (9 1/2 × 10 3/4 × 1 3/8 in.)
Credit Line: Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Fund
Reference Number: 1986.426
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/105466/manifest.json

Anne W. Lowenthal, Joachim Wtewael and Dutch Mannerism, Doornspijk, 1986, pp. 102-3, cat. no. A-23, pl. 8, fig. 35.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 1986-1987, Chicago, 1987, pp. 5, 56, pl. 7.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Master Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 1988, p. 24.
C.J.A. Wansink, review of Anne W. Lowenthal, Joachim Wtewael and Dutch Mannerism in Oud Holland 103 (1989), p. 177.
Peter C. Sutton, “Recent Patterns of Public and Private Collecting of Dutch Art” in Great Dutch Paintings in America, exhib. cat., Mauritshuis, The Hague, 1990, p. 107.
Christie’s, New York, Important and Fine Old Master Paintings, May 21, 1992, under no. 92.
Sotheby’s, New York, Important Old Master Paintings, January 30, 1997, under no. 24.
Lawrence W. Nichols, “Joachim Wtewael, Utrecht, Washington and Houston,” Burlington Magazine 158 (2015), p. 502.
James Clifton, Liesbeth M. Helmus and Aurthor K. Wheelock, Jr., eds., Pleasure and Piety: The Art of Joachim Wtewael, exh. cat. (Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2015), 132–34, cat. 27.
Anne W. Lowenthal, “Desire and Devotion in Wtewael’s Art,” in James Clifton, Liesbeth M. Helmus and Aurthor K. Wheelock, Jr., eds., Pleasure and Piety: The Art of Joachim Wtewael, exh. cat. (Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2015), 9.

London, Matthiesen Fine Art, Around 1610: The Onset of the Baroque, 1985, no. 6.
Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Pleasure and Piety: The Art of Joachim Wtewael, February 21 - May 25, 2015, cat. 27; Washington, National Gallery of Art, June 28-October 4, 2015; Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, November 1, 2015-January 31, 2016.

Possibly Adriaan Bout, sold, The Hague, August 11, 1733, no. 108, “De Reusen tegen de Goden Strydende, heel curieus en uytvoerig Geschildert, door Uytewael, h. 6 d. br. 8 d. (the giants fighting against thegods, very rare and minutely painted by Wtewael” for 275 fl. [Gerard Hoet, Catalogus of Naamlyst van Schilderyen…, The Hague, 1752, vol. 1, p. 392]. Possibly Count van Wassenaar Obdam, sold, De Hondt, The Hague, August 19, 1750, no. 115, “De Reusen Stryd, tegen de Gooden, door Jochem Uittewaal. h. 6 d., br. 8 d. “ for 300 fl. [Hoet, vol. 2, p. 298]. Probably Willem Lormier, The Hague; sold A. Franken, The Hague, July 4, 1763, no. 206, “De Stryd der Reusen, tegen de Goden. K[uiper]. Breet 7 3/4, Hoog, 6 (the battle of giants and gods, on copper” for 115 fl. Vosmaar” [annotated sale catalogue, Art Institute of Chicago]. Probably Jan Tak, Leiden, sold, Zoeterwoude, September 5, 1781, no. 64a as a pair to Delfos, “”Een weergae werbeeldende Jupiter zittende op de Wolken met den Blixem in zijn hand, verzeld van Goden, terwijl de Reuzen op de voorgrond staande den Hemel bestormen, waarvan men ‘er een meenigte in ‘t verschiet ziet nedertuimelen. Deeze twee stukjes zijn konstig geordonneert, fraai getekend, en zoo uitvoerig en kragtig of het Geëmailleert was, en met olijverf op koper geschildert, ieder is hoog 6, breed 7 duim.” [annotated catalogue in the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague; this and the Lormier picture were sold with a Diana and Acteon by Wtewael of the same dimensions]. Possibly Van Leyden; sold, Paris, September 10, 1804,no. 113 [pendants of Jupiter defeating the titans and Diana and Acteon 8 x 6 pouces, but described as on panel]. Private collection, Russia, c. 1900 [Matthiesen 1985, p. 30, based on Russian newspaper used to mount picture]. Private collection, England [according to Matthiesen 1985, p. 30 and Lowenthal 1986, p. 102]; Matthiesen Fine Ltd, by 1985; sold to the Art Institute, 1986.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

On View

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

Explore Further

Suggested Terms

On View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Publication History

Exhibition History

Provenance

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.