Claude Deruet (1588-1662), Entourage de - Le retour de Jephté

The Return of Jephthah - Circle of Claude Deruet (1588-1662)
French School, 17th Century

Oil on canvas depicting an episode from the Book of Judges in the Old Testament.
Jephthah’s return after a victory; he vowed to God to sacrifice the first person he would meet on his return. It would be his own daughter, which is why Jephthah tore his garment in an act of despair.
This painting is one of the panels of a polyptych.
The painting is remarkable for its influence from both French and Flemish (the latter being the Fontainebleau School).
The naïve and awkward quality of the composition is undeniable; this characteristic, typical of Deruet’s work, gives it a charm and a special place among seventeenth-century painters.

Marouflé canvas on panel.
Dimensions: 126 x 52 cm