Strange Dagger in 16th Century Dutch Painting

laEspadaAncha · 31st December 2010, 03:06 AM

Hi Michael - I appreciate your input. I have attached below three images from one of Bosch's better known works, The Garden of Earthly Delights, dating to ca. 1490-1510. This 7' x 12.5' (2.2 x 3.9m) monster triptych hangs in the Prado in Madrid. All three images are from the third panel.

I reference this work for two reasons: First, at the bottom of the third panel, one can find several edged weapons depicted with a high degree of realism. Second, what appears to be a very similar blade as in the OP can also be found in this panel - note the similarity with regards to the blade profile, the nick in the cutting edge, and the mark on the obverse of the blade (the guard is either absent or not visible, but the similarities are nonethless awfully coincidental)...

These details, virtually mirroring each other on two separate works of his separated by at least five years and as many as twenty-five, along with the general trend of accurately and realistically depicting other edged weapons in both paintings, would seem to support the possibility this knife actually existed, wouldn't it?

The 3rd panel of ...Earthly Delights:

Rondel dagger and other edged weapons portrayed with a high degree of realism:

The same blade as depicted in The Arrest of Christ:

31st December 2010, 03:06 AM	#7
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Hi Michael - I appreciate your input. I have attached below three images from one of Bosch's better known works, The Garden of Earthly Delights, dating to ca. 1490-1510. This 7' x 12.5' (2.2 x 3.9m) monster triptych hangs in the Prado in Madrid. All three images are from the third panel. I reference this work for two reasons: First, at the bottom of the third panel, one can find several edged weapons depicted with a high degree of realism. Second, what appears to be a very similar blade as in the OP can also be found in this panel - note the similarity with regards to the blade profile, the nick in the cutting edge, and the mark on the obverse of the blade (the guard is either absent or not visible, but the similarities are nonethless awfully coincidental)... These details, virtually mirroring each other on two separate works of his separated by at least five years and as many as twenty-five, along with the general trend of accurately and realistically depicting other edged weapons in both paintings, would seem to support the possibility this knife actually existed, wouldn't it? The 3rd panel of ...Earthly Delights: Rondel dagger and other edged weapons portrayed with a high degree of realism: The same blade as depicted in The Arrest of Christ: