The Drowned Child Restored to Life

Artist Gerard David (Netherlandish, ca. 1460-1523)

Place of OriginFlanders

Dateabout 1500-1510

Dimensions21 11/16 × 12 7/8 in. (55.1 × 32.7 cm)
Frame: 25 × 16 1/8 × 1 5/8 in. (63.5 × 41 × 4.1 cm)
With frame: 25 1/8 × 16 1/4 in. (63.8 × 41.3 cm)

MediumOil on wood panel

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1959.21

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 16

Label TextActive in Bruges (in present-day Belgium), Gerard David is recognized as one of the most important Netherlandish painters of the Renaissance. These panels formed part of a large altarpiece more than eight feet high known as The Saint Anne Altarpiece. The other panels today are in Washington, D.C., Edinburgh, and Chicago. Saint Anne with her daughter, the Virgin Mary, and the Christ Child occupied the central panel. Standing figures of Saints Nicholas and Anthony of Padua flanked the center, with three scenes under each saint depicting stories from his life. The Toledo panels show Saint Anthony, a member of the Franciscan order of monks who was known for his many miracles and compelling preaching. Left to right: Anthony brings back to life a boy whose parents were accused of his murder. The revived child declares his parents’ innocence. When citizens in the city of Rimini ignore his sermon, Anthony instead preaches to the fish, who listen attentively. To convince a heretic of Christ’s presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist, Anthony offers Communion wafers to a starving mule, who immediately kneels before them.Published References

Justi, C., "Altflandrische Bilder in Spanien und Portugal: Gerard David," Zeitschrift für Bildende Kunst, XXI, 1886, p. 137-138.

Lafenestre, Georges, “Les Arts à l’Exposition Universelle de 1900 – La Peinture Ancienne,” (2. Et dernier article) Gazette des Beaux Arts, 3. pér., vol. 24, 1900, pp. 537-538.

Hulin de Loo, G., Catalogue Critique de l’Exposition à Bruges, Bruges, 1902, no. 125. (This catalogue of the exhibition in which only the three larger panels of the altarpiece were shown, mentions the six St. Anthony and St. Nicholas panels).

A Catalogue of Pictures forming the Collection of Lord and Lady Wantage, London, 1905, no. 56B, pl. 56b.

von Bodenhausen, E., Gerard David und seine Schule, Munich, 1905, no. 31, fig. 31b.

Conway, M., The Van Eycks and Their Followers, New York, 1921, pp. 286-287.

Winkler, F., Die Flämische Buchmalerei des XV. und XVI. Jahrhunderts, Leipizig, 1925, p. 174.

Gaspar, C., The Breviary of the Mayer van der Bergh Museum at Antwerp, Brussels, 1932, p. 73, n. 1.

Antwerp, Musée Mayer van den Bergh, The Breviary of the Mayer van den Bergh Museum at Antwerp…, Brussels, NY, 1932, p. 73, repr. in color, pl. LXXII.

Friedländer, M. J., Die Altniederländische Malerei, Leyden, 1934, VI, pp. 97-98, no. 167.

Art News, vol. 32, September 15, 1934, p. 17.

Waldmann, E., “Die Sammlung Widener,” Pantheon, vol. 22, 1938, p. 338.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Catalogue of Paintings and Tapestries from Lockinge House, Wantage, Lent by Captain C. L. Loyd, Birmingham, 1945, p. 10, no. 14.

Cox, Trenchard, “The Wantage Collection from Lockinge House,” Connoisseur, vol. 117, 1946, pp. 75-76.

Brockwell, Maurice W., “The Flemish Exhibition: 1300-1700 at Burlington House,” Connoisseur, vol. 133, 1954, p. 31.

Art News, vol. 58, no. 8, December 1959, p. 5, 8, repr. P. 5, The Drowned Child Restored to Life, repr. in color on cover.

La Chronique des Arts, Supplément à la Gazette des Beaux Arts, no. 1092, January 1960, p. 32, panel of The Drowned Child Restored to Life, repr.

Illustrated London News, vol. 236, 1960, p. 101, repr.

Weltkunst, vol. 30, no. 2, January 15, 1960, p. 8, repr.

Museum News, vol. 38, no. 5, January 1960, p. 11.

“Accessions of American and Canadian Museums, October-December 1959,” Art Quarterly, vol. 23, 1960, p. 93, repr. p. 92.

Sele Arte, no. 45, March-April 1960, pp. 14-15 (says panels painted between 1499 and 1511 for the Church of Sainte Anne).

Toledo Museum News, Summer 1960, New Series: vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 60, 61, repr.

Emporium, July 1960, vol. CXXXII, no. 787, p. 42, repr. pp. 42, 43.

Bruner, Louise, “The Toledo Museum of Art,” American Artists, vol. 30, no. 4, April 1966, p. 39, repr. (b&w) p. 34.

A Guide to the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, 1966, repr.

“Celebration at Agnew’s,” Apollo, vol. 86, no. 69, Nov. 1967, p. 331.

Wittmann, Otto, “Director’s Choice,” Apollo, vol. 86, no. 70, Dec. 1967, p. 507, repr. (col.) pl. XX.

Agnew, Geoffrey, Agnew’s 1817-1967, London, 1967, no page number.

Spaeth, Eloise, American Art Museums, NY, 1969, rev. ed. p. 204, 205.

Morse, John D., “Toledo, OH: Museum of Art,” McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Art, New York, 1969, vol. 5, p. 330.

“Painting in Northern Europe 1450-1550,” Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 13, no. 2, Summer 1970, pp. 36, 37, repr.

Friedländer, M. J., Early Netherlandish Painting, (ed. H. Pauwels), New York, VIb, 1971, pp. 90-91, no. 167, p. 132, n. 111, pls. 181, 183, fig. 167.

Toledo Museum of Art, The Toledo Museum of Art, European Paintings, Toledo, 1976, p. 48, pl. 81 a-c.

The Toledo Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collections, Toledo, 1976, repr. p. 26 (col.).

Morse, John D., Old Master Paintings in North America, New York, 1979, p. 92.

De Winter, Patrick, "A Book of Hours of Queen Isabel la Catolica," The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 67, no. 10, Dec. 1981, p. 418, 427, n. 65, repr. fig. 125, p. 401.

Hand, John Oliver, Early Netherlandish Painting, Washington, D.C., 1986, p. 69, 73, notes 10, 20, fig. 5, p. 72.

Buijsen, Edwin, "Drowned or murdered? A new interpretation of a Miracle by St. Antony of Padua by Gerard David," Hoogsteder-Naumann Mercury, no. 7, 1988, pp. 5-11, repr. fig. 1, 3, 4.

Miegroet, Hans J. van, Gerard David, Antwerp, 1989, pp. 313-314, repr.

Campbell, Lorne, "Gerard David, by Hans J. Van Miegroet," [review] Burlington, vol. 133, no. 1062, September 1991, p. 624.

"Opening exhibition : The Saint Anne Altarpiece by Gerard David," National Gallery of Art Calendar of Events, January 1992.

Flemish paintings in America, Antwerp, 1992, repr. p. 327.

Metzger, Catherine A. and Barbara H. Berrie, "Gerard David's 'St. Anne Altarpiece:' evidence for workshop participation," in Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice, [Marina Del Rey] 1995, pp. 127-134.

Ainsworth, Maryan W., Gerard David: Purity of Vision in an Age of Transition, New York, 1998, pp. 47, 55, no. 76, 150, no. 17, 156, 165, 167-177, 179, 316, 320, repr. fig. 159, p. 168, fig. 167 (infrared reflectography of 2 det.) [some references in context of larger work, Saint Anne Altarpiece].

Mund, Helene and Cyriel Stroo, Early Netherlandish Painting (1400-1500): a Bibliography (1984-1998), Brussels, 1998, p. 106.

Duncan, Sally Anne, Otto Wittmann: Museum Man for All Seasons, Toledo, 2001, p. 16.

Kren, Thomas and Scot McKendrick, Illuminating the Renaissance: the Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe, Los Angeles, Getty, 2003, p. 47, fig. 21, p. 48.

Martens, Didier, "Fragmentos de un museo desaparecido: lost Primitivos flamencos del cardenal Despuig," Revista de Arte Goya, no.344, July-Sept. 2013, repr. p. 194.

Exhibition History

London, New Gallery, Catalogue of the Twelfth Summer Exhibition, 1899, no. 32.

London, Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1902, no. 49.

Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Loan Exhibition of Pictures from the Collection of A. Thomas Loyd.

London, Royal Academy, Catalogue of the Loan Exhibition of Flemish and Belgian Art, A Memorial Volume, 1927, no. 100, pl. XLVII.

London, Royal Academy, Flemish Art, 1300-1700, 1953, pl. 9.

Bruges, Musée Communal Groeninge, L'art flamand dans les collections britanniques, 1956, no. 25, pl. 17.

Arts Council of Great Britain (at Wildenstein Gallery, London), Gerard David and his Followers, 1949, no. 15.

Washington, National Gallery of Art, The Saint Anne Altarpiece, 1992, pp. 1, 6-7, fig. 3 (col.), p. 5.