Title
Rendering of the lost painting of the Calumny of Apelles.
Date
1612
Bibliographic Citation
BREUNING VON BUCHENBACH, Hans Jacob. Orientalische Reyß Deß Edlen unnd Besten/ Hanß Jacob Breüning/ von und zu Buochenbach/ so er selb ander in der Tuerckey/ under deß Tuerckischen Sultans Jurisdiction und Gebiet/ so wol in Europa als Asia unnd Africa/ ohn einig Cuchtum oder FreyGleit/ benantlich in Griechen Land/ Egypten/ Arabien/ Palestina/ das Heylige Gelobte Land und Syrien/ nicht ohne sondere grosse Gefahr/ vor dieser Zeit verrichtet. Alles in Fuenff underschiedliche Meerfahrten disponiert und abgetheylet/ auch was in einer jeden derselben/ von tag zu tag fuergangen/ ordentlich vom Authore selbsten verzeichnet: darinn ein jede abgesonderte Materi under ihr eigen Capitel oder Titul gebracht/ und mit schönen Kupfferstuecken gezieret. Mit angehenckter Summarischer Computation aller Meylen: sampt einem kurtzen Appendice, und außfuehrlichen Registern/ so wol der Capitel als anderer denckwirdigen Sachen. Mit Roem. Kays. May. Freyheit, Strasbourg, Johann Carolo, 1612.
Subject
Art and antiquities
Description
At the centre of the composition a man seated on a throne is surrounded by the figures of Ignorance (Ignorantia) and Suspicion (Suspicio). He is approached by Calumny (Calumnia), who is dragging with her a bedraggled man supposed to represent Envy (Invidia), according to Lucian's description. In this composition, Envy is possibly represented by the female figure with Medusa head as well. Fraud (Fraus) and Treason (Insidia) are following. Behind them, Repentance (Poemtudo), who is looking towards Truth (Veritas) at the end of the composition.
According to tradition Apelles painted the Calumny when a certain enemy of his made false accusations against him to King Prolemy, thus endangering Apelles' life.
The description of the painting by Lucian in his treatise On Calumny, was very influential in Renaissance art. Several artists, such as Brueghel, Botticelli and Mantegna0, painted their own version of Apelles' Calumny. Boticelli's work is the best-known among them, while the present composition closely resembles the drawing by Andrea Mantegna (1504-06), later copied by Rembrandt.
Collection
The Gennadius Library - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens