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Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral

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Saint Ambrose Barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral
Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral
ArtistAnthony van Dyck Edit this on Wikidata
Yearc. 1619–20
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions149 cm (59 in) × 113 cm (44 in)
LocationNational Gallery
Accession No.NG50 Edit this on Wikidata
IdentifiersRKDimages ID: 37078
Art UK artwork ID: the-emperor-theodosius-is-forbidden-by-saint-ambrose-to-enter-milan-cathedral-115572

Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral is a painting of c. 1619–20 by Anthony van Dyck in the National Gallery, in London.

It draws heavily on a 1618 treatment of the same subject by Peter Paul Rubens, on which van Dyck had worked as a studio assistant. In van Dyck's version, Theodosius is beardless, the architectural background is more defined, a spear and a halberd are added on the left-hand side and a dog in the bottom-left.

The painting depicts the Roman emperor Theodosius I and his entourage being barred from Milan Cathedral by its archbishop Saint Ambrose, as punishment for the Massacre of Thessalonica.

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Sources

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Bibliography

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  • Gian Pietro Bellori, Vite de' pittori, scultori e architecti moderni, Torino, Einaudi, 1976.
  • Didier Bodart, Van Dyck, Prato, Giunti, 1997.
  • Christopher Brown, Van Dyck 1599–1641, Milano, RCS Libri, 1999.ISBN 8817860603
  • Justus Müller Hofstede, Van Dyck, Milano, Rizzoli/Skira, 2004.
  • Stefano Zuffi, Il Barocco, Verona, Mondadori, 2004.