Cornelis Schut I, 1597 Antwerp - 1655, Cornelis Schut I, 1597 Antwerp - 1655 ALLEGORY OF AUTUMN

Oil on canvas, 122x189cm

The painting is designed in a pronounced landscape format. A triumphal chariot drawn by lions is shown in a clear view from below. Putti cavort around the animals. Some carry a garland bulging with ripe fruit and cornucopias. The busy chaos is characterized by falling fruit, waving bows and moving angel figures. The painting was probably planned to furnish a castle.
The Flemish Baroque painter Cornelis Schut I was master of the Guild of St. Luke and was inspired by Rubens. However, he developed his own style through compositions that captivated with their formal contrasts and slightly different colors. He concentrated primarily on working on altarpieces, but themes with allegorical representations can also be found in his oeuvre.
The painting is listed in the RKD under number 0000022596 as an original by Cornelis Schut I.
Created numerous altarpieces for Belgian and Cologne churches, as well as historical and allegorical depictions. His main works include the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary” in the dome of the Frauenkirche in Antwerp (1647), “The Martyrdom of Saint Gerion” (around 1655) in Cologne, and the “Triumph of Time” in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. Initially under the influence of Rubens, he largely freed himself from his style in favor of personal expression. His centerpieces for flower wreaths by Daniel Seghers are also well known. Oil on canvas, 122x189cm


Provenance:
Private collection Vienna.
Confiscated by US occupying soldiers in Vienna in 1945.
1945-1995 Private collection Walter Dimitri, Ellenworth (South Dakota/USA).
Temporarily on loan to the Society of Liberal Arts Joslyn Memorial, Omaha, No. 356.1950.
Auction Dorotheum Vienna, March 20, 1995, lot 104.