Bartholomeus Van Bassen

BARTHOLOMEUS VAN BASSEN (Netherlands, ca. 1590 – The Hague, 1652).
“Clytemnestra and Iphigenia Before Agamemnon.”
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Figures probably painted by Jan Martsen de Jonge (Haarlem, ca. 1609 – 1647).
Measurements: 34.1 x 48.9 cm; 52.8 x 68 cm (frame).

The panel up for auction is a unique example of Dutch architectural painting from the first half of the 17th century. Bartholomeus Van Bassen, considered one of the first Dutch painters to specialize in this genre, depicts a monumental palatial interior constructed using rigorous perspective, where columns, arcades, and expansive vaulted spaces create a scene of great depth and theatricality.

The scene depicts an exceptionally rare episode from Greek mythology, taken from Euripides’ *Iphigenia in Aulis*. Agamemnon, on the right, informs his wife, Clytemnestra, of his decision to sacrifice their daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess Artemis so that the Greek fleet may finally set sail for Troy. Kneeling before him are Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, and a maid, while on the left, Menelaus and Odysseus are seated at a table. In the foreground, Achilles and his companion Patroclus can also be seen.

As was customary among Dutch specialists in architectural perspectives, Van Bassen enlisted other artists to paint the figures or staffage in his compositions. In this work, it has been suggested that Jan Martsen de Jonge, a painter particularly known for his scenes of chivalry and battles, was involved. Other artists who collaborated on Van Bassen’s architectural works on other occasions include Cornelis van Poelenburch, Esaias van de Velde, and Anthonie Palamedesz.

A painter and architect, Bartholomeus van Bassen is documented as a master in the Delft guild from 1613 and later settled in The Hague, where he joined the guild in 1622. His compositions are characterized by depictions of church interiors and lavish imaginary palaces, rendered with a remarkable mastery of perspective and meticulous attention to detail. His style reveals the influence of the great Flemish specialists in architectural perspective, particularly Hendrick van Steenwijck I and II and Pieter Neefs I. Alongside his work as a painter, Van Bassen pursued a significant career as an architect, designing and supervising various buildings associated with the court in The Hague. Beginning in 1638, he served as the city’s municipal architect and construction supervisor, participating in the construction and restoration of civil and religious buildings. This dual role as painter and architect helps explain the extraordinary prominence that spatial structures and perspective hold in his paintings.