Julius Caesar on Horseback, writing and dictating simultaneously to his Scribes
Jacques de Gheyn II (Antwerp 1565 - London 1629)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1618 - circa 1622
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1435 x 1880 mm (56 ½ x 74 in)
Order this imageCollection
Ham House, Surrey
NT 1139674
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Julius Caesar on Horseback, Writing and Dictating Simultaneously to his Scribes, by Jacques de Gheyn II (Antwerp 1565 - London 1629), signed: J Gheyn fe, circa 1618-22. Robed male figure to right of scene, astride a horse, holds papers in his left hand. Other men to the left of the scene take dictation from him. Julius Caesar was famous for being able to dictate to a number of secretaries simultaneously.
Provenance
Probably commissioned by Sir Thomas Vavasour (1560–1620) (who maintained active links with the Netherlands), rather than acquired on the market subsequently by William Murray, who may have taken it over with the house and Charles I’s collection contained a pen and ink drawing of ‘David wryteinge’, that may also have dated from one of these two visits; in 1677 inventory; acquired in 1948 by HM Government when Sir Lyonel, 4th Bt (1854 – 1952) and Sir Cecil Tollemache, 5th Bt (1886 – 1969) presented Ham House to the National Trust, and entrusted to the care of the Victoria & Albert Museum, until 1990, when returned to the care of the National Trust, and to which ownership was transferred in 2002
Credit line
Ham House, The Dysart Collection (purchased by HM Government in 1948 and transferred to the National Trust in 2002)
Makers and roles
Jacques de Gheyn II (Antwerp 1565 - London 1629) , artist