Lot 13: Juliaan de Vriendt (Belgian 1842-1935)

King Boudewijn's judgment on one of his fellow noblemen
signed 'Juliaan De Vrient' (lower right)
oil on canvas
145 x 206 cm. (57 x 81 in.)

Painted in 1874.

Exhibited:
Exposition Historique de L'Art Belge, 1875;
Historische Abteilung der Internationalen Kunst-Ausstellung, Berlin, 1896.

Literature:
Peeters, Denijs, Juliaan De Vriendt, Vlaamsche Boekcentrale, Antwerpen, ill. facing p.33.

A native of Ghent, Juliaan de Vriendt attended the city's Academy of Fine Arts from 1856 to 1862. The following year, he entered the Academy of Antwerp, where he trained for two years in the classes of V. Lagye, P. Beaufaux and N. De Keyser. He made his Salon debut in Brussels in 1864. De Vriendt became an active member of the artistic community of Antwerp, teaching drawing at the Higher Institute for Fine Arts, and later becoming Director of the Academy of Fine Arts (1901-1923). In the early 1880s, he travelled extensively throughout Italy and the Middle East, which gave him the inspiration for some of the Oriental settings of his religious paintings.

In parallel to his successful teaching career, de Vriendt was an active defendant of the Flemish cause. In 1871, he published an article titled 'The importance of a Flemish artistic movement' in De Sweep, under the pseudonym J. Floris. As part of his commitment to this cause, de Vriendt used his own national history as the inspiration for his work; in the present lot, he chooses to represent Baudouin VII, 11th Count of Flanders (c.1093-1119). The nickname of 'Hapkin' which he carries is derived from the Flemish term meaning 'the axe', in reference to the Count's preferred method of administering justice. Baudouin was the eldest son of Robert II of Jerusalem, Count of Flanders, and of Clemence of Burgundy. Baudouin acceded his father in October 1111, and received the county of Flanders from King Louis VI of France. His mother assisted his rule for many years. In September 1118, a sudden illness left him paralysed. He lived on until 17 June 1119. He had married Clemence Agnes of Brittany, but the marriage was annuled by the Pope for reasons of consanguinity.

The painted scene depicts a moment of justice undertaken during the rule of Baudouin VII, when a nobleman of royal blood is accused of raping a young girl of common background, shown here reunited with her mother. The Count's verdict is pronounced before his people, in defense of the young victim.

Literature:
Corneille Martin, Les généalogies et anciennes descentes des forestiers et Comtes de Flandre, avec brieves descriptions de leurs vies et gestes le tout recueilly des plus véritables, approvées et anciennes croniques et annales qui se trouvent par Corneille Martin, 3 elandoÿs et ornées de portraicts figures et habitz selon les facons et guises de leurs temps, ainsi quelles ont este trouéees es plus anciens tableaux, par Pierre Balthasar et par lui-mesme, mise en lumiere, Anvers: Jean Baptiste Vrints, 1598, p. 11 and p. 76, see engraving p. 77.