Jacob van Swanenburgh's Underworld Painting: A Rare Surviving Work at Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Only 11 surviving works are known by Jacob Isaacsz van Swanenburgh, and among them is Aeneas Taken by the Sibyl to the Underworld, an oil on canvas measuring 101.5 by 150 cm. The painting, held at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, lacks a signature, a common practice in the early 17th century, leading to its attribution based on style. Van Swanenburgh, a Dutch painter, draftsman, and art dealer, was born in Leiden, lived in Naples, and died in Utrecht. He is also known as the teacher of Rembrandt, who later became famous for his use of chiaroscuro, a technique van Swanenburgh employed in his hellish scenes. The work depicts the Trojan hero Aeneas and the Sibyl consulting the underworld, with classical figures like Charon, Hades, and Persephone. It blends classical and Christian imagery, showing various sins such as laziness, slander, lust, murder, and avarice, along with a large locust alluding to the eighth plague of Egypt. The scene also incorporates elements from the Book of Revelation, with fiery landscapes and damned souls. Amidst the despair, an angel rescues a naked figure, possibly offering a second chance at life. The painting is a masterpiece of the early 17th century, combining physical and psychological terror with a glimmer of hope.