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A Jewish Family Accused of Handling Stolen Religious Artefacts and Tortured by the Inquisition

  • oil paint, canvas
  • 27.4 x 38.9 cm
  • Inv. 1885-B

Public Domain

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At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Neoclassicism was coming to an end in the Southern Netherlands, while Romantic painting was on the rise. The Romantic painters resisted the coolness of the reasoned neoclassicism. The classical canons have a restrictive effect on the external forms and lead to a so-called ideal, but chilly and lifeless beauty. In Romanticism, this is replaced by an expressive beauty that is full of life and emotion. The drawing becomes more expressive, the colours more striking and the light-dark contrasts greater. The creation of a Belgian state in 1830 meant the definitive breakthrough of Belgian romantic painting. The feelings of triumph for the newly acquired independence could not be better expressed than in a romantic form language. The declaration of independence also increased the interest in the national past. Especially the sixteenth century attracts a great deal of interest. Gallait is also inspired by this period in many paintings. For example, in the works The Abdication of Charles V (1838-1841) and Final Tributes to the Earls Egmont and Horn (1851). A Jewish family accused of fencing religious objects depicts a summons to appear before the Inquisition, a kind of court of the Roman Catholic Church charged with tracking down, questioning and punishing heretics. For this scene, Gallait undoubtedly found his inspiration in the sixteenth century. After all, a great deal of resistance to religious persecution was growing in Flanders at the time. A Jewish family, consisting of an old man, two women and two children, is brought to the tribunal where they will hear the verdict of the inquisitor. In the foreground are the stolen religious objects. The sunlight falls on the figures through an opening in the roof. It illuminates and accentuates the expressions on the faces. The old man hangs his head in discouragement. The mother keeps her eyes closed to shut out the terrible event while she holds her child protectively. Behind her, the second child looks up in horror and fear at the heavy-handed soldier. But the greatest attention goes to the woman in the middle. In vain she begs the Inquisitor for mercy. In vain she begs the Inquisitor, who has indifferently turned his head away, for mercy. The light, which illuminates the entire figure of the woman, further heightens the drama of her plea.

Artist

Louis Gallait RKD
Tournai 1810 - Schaerbeek (Brussels) 1887
painters (artists)AAT

Title A Jewish Family Accused of Handling Stolen Religious Artefacts and Tortured by the Inquisition
Period 19th century
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signatures (names) bottom right: Louis Gallait
signatures (names) bottom right: Louis Gallait
Collection paintings AAT
Object type oil paintings (visual works) AAT
Inventory number 1885-B
Acquisition credit purchase, purchase
Hollender, J.
Brussels, Brussels
1885, 1885
Current whereabouts Work currently not on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1885-B
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/251/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300033898 history paintings AAT
Keywords Iconclass 11N42 Heresy; 'Heresia' (Ripa) Iconclass
11P315(DOMINICANS) monastic orders, monastic life ~ Roman Catholic church (DOMINICANS) Iconclass
11P31521 monk(s), friar(s) Iconclass
11P443 inquisition Iconclass
12A Jewish religion and culture Iconclass
12A7 the Jews, Jewish life Iconclass
31A231 standing figure Iconclass
31AA the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) - AA - female human figure Iconclass
31AA231 standing figure - AA - female human figure Iconclass
42B parents with their children Iconclass
42B751 grandparent(s) with grandchild(ren) (family group) Iconclass
42G211 parents (first degree family relationships) Iconclass
42G2111 father (first degree family relationships) Iconclass
42G2112 mother (first degree family relationships) Iconclass
42G212 children (first degree family relationships) Iconclass
42G2121 son (first degree family relationships) Iconclass
42G2122 daughter (first degree family relationships) Iconclass
42G221 grandparents (second degree family relationships) Iconclass
44G111 accusation (in court) Iconclass
44G33 torture Iconclass
44G543 receiver, fence Iconclass
53CC3 Supplication; 'Supplicatione' (Ripa) Iconclass
57BB14 Condemnation Iconclass
61G(RELIGIOUS OBJECTS) names of artefacts and man-made objects (buildings excluded) (RELIGIOUS OBJECTS) Iconclass
School / Style Romantic (modern European styles) AAT
historicism (theory) AAT
Histoire de la peinture et de la sculpture en Belgique : 1830-1930 / Paul Lambotte. - Bruxelles : G. Van Oest, 1930 (p. 9-40)
Louis Gallait (Fonds Richard de Moor). - [s.l.] : [s.n.], [s.a.]
Catalogus van het Museum van Schoone Kunsten Gent : II: Moderne Meesters / Georges Chabot, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Ad. Hoste, 1932 (p. 71)
Louis Gallait (1810-1887) : La gloire d'un romantique (expositionTournai, Musée des Beaux-Arts, 21.11.1987 - 22.02.1988). - Bruxelles : Crédit Communal, 1987 (p. 190-191)
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. II, p. 162-163 (ill.))
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