Venus Bewailing the Slain Adonis

This painting is on a panel of oak. In the 1600s oak was in short supply, so to control the trade and production of panels the carpenters’ guild in Antwerp (which included frame and panel makers) ruled that from 1617 all panels were to be stamped with the personal monogram of the carpenter. Once this had been done, an inspector from the Guild of Saint Luke came to the carpenter’s workshop to check the quality of the panels. Approved panels were then branded with Antwerp’s city arms: three towers surmounted by two hands. This is the brand that can be seen on the back of Frans Wouter’s painting. The design here was in use from 1637-1650, so the painting was probably made during this period. It is, however, strange that there is no carpenter’s stamp on this approved and branded panel. We do not know why. Such a monogram would have given us more information about when the panel was made