The ComedyJacob de Wit · 1743
1743
270.0 x 398.0 cm
Mauritshuis
This ceiling painting comes from a house in Leiden (Rapenburg 48) and has been hanging here since 1912. Apollo, the classical god of the arts, is depicted on the oval centrepiece. He is surrounded by his nine muses, who stand for the various artistic disciplines. The four grisailles around the centrepiece represent the elegy, the comedy, the pastoral song and the epos. In the eighteenth century, the Amsterdam artist Jacob de Wit was the leading expert in this type of illusionist tour de force.
Jacob de Wit (1695 – 1754)
Discover Jacob de Wit: Dutch Rococo painter known for stunning ceiling & door paintings. Explore his masterful grisaille works & influence on Antwerp art.
Mauritshuis (The Hague, Netherlands)
Discover Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring in this stunning Dutch Golden Age palace. Explore the masterpieces of The Hague today.
About this artwork
- Title: The Comedy
- Artist: Jacob de Wit
- Year: 1743
- Original dimensions: 270.0 x 398.0 cm
- Format: Landscape
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Where to see it: Mauritshuis
- Color hue: Ochre to Sepia
- Color intensity: Monochromatic
- Perceived brightness: balanced
Questions & Answers
Toward which tone does "The Comedy" lean?
"The Comedy" leans toward an ochre to sepia tone.
How big is the original "The Comedy"?
"The Comedy" measures 270 x 398 cm in its original form. Original dimensions are a useful reference when choosing a reproduction size.
At what age did Jacob de Wit make "The Comedy"?
When "The Comedy" was created in 1743, Jacob de Wit - born in 1695 - was 48 years old.