Lucas Gassel is an enigmatic painter of broad, so-called world landscapes who was active in Antwerp and also in Brussels.

 

When Abraham, the founder of the Hebrew nation, was already very old, three strangers, in fact three Angels, came to tell him that his wife would be pregnant. Sarah who was almost 90 years old doubted their words.

 

 

Dutch painter active in Flanders

Probably Deurne (North Brabant, Holland) circa 1488 - 1568/69 Brussels

 

Lucas Gassel was probably born in the small town of Deurne in the Duchy of Brabant in Holland. Soon his father, the painter Jan Gassel, was able to settle in nearby Helmond. To his contemporaries our painter was known as ‘Lucas Gassel van (from) Helmond’. Lucas did not live any 

more in Helmond when his father passed away in 1512. 

 

Strangely enough nothing is known of Lucas’ life. Stylistically it seems clear that he lived in Antwerp and later in Brussels. But, as said, there are is not a single document proving this: no inscription as burgher of these towns, nor as a member of the local Painter’s Guild, nor any purchase or rental deed of a house or a studio.

 

 

Lucas Gassel belonged to the first generation of Flemish early 16th century landscape painters, together with Joachim Patinir (circa 1475/80 – 1524) and with Herri met de Bles (circa 1510 – circa 1550). 

They painted so-called ‘world landscapes’ (‘Weltlandschaften’ in German): imaginary mountainous panoramic landscapes showing a religious subject. Gassel outlived both his colleagues; he probably past away the same year as Pieter Brueghel I (1526/30 – 1569), who belonged already to a next generation of artists.

 

The compositions of Patinir and met de Bles show a variety of different, unconnected planes, while Gassel chose for a more natural, dynamic flow. His use of the three-colour scheme is also less rigid. There are not many signed paintings known by these painters: 5 by Patinir, 15 by Gassel and none by met de Bles. But met de Bles did regularly “sign” his works with a small owl, hidden in his compositions. I should also mention that Gassel regularly added a lizard in his compositions, sometimes in addition to his signature or a monogram.

 

The artistic community of such an early 16th century metropolis like Antwerp was not at all organized with strictly separated artists: painters, their designs and their assistants were mutually exchanged. The more success a painter had, the more assistants he would use. According to Anna Dijkstra (in “Lucas Gassel van Helmond”, 2020, P. 29 and 30) this was also the case for our painter. It is thought that Gassel's workshop became larger from the second half of the 1640s.

 

Of this subject, Abraham and the three Angels, exist two other paintings, a drawing and an engraving made after that drawing.

The figures in our painting do not seem to have been painted by the Master himself: they lack that typical poppy and stocky appearance. Karel van Mander in his “Schilder-Boeck” of 1604 states indeed that Gassel did not like painting figures. But on the other hand one sees in different places a dark under drawing, probably made with a dry medium such as charcoal or black chalk. So one may wonder of van Gassel did himself paint the landscape.

 

 

Abraham was the first Patriarch of the Old Testament and the founder of the Hebrew nation. He was married with Sarah, who had been unable to conceive a child. One day, in the plains of Mamre, they were visited by three strangers. Abraham offered them food and drink. They said they were angels and that they brought him a message from God: Sarah would be pregnant of a son, Isaac. Sarah, then almost 90 years old, did not believe them, while Abraham stands for faith and hope. 

 

In our composition our artist has changed the tent of Abraham into a rich farmhouse. On top of the mountain in the background the town of Sodom is burning. God informed Abraham that he planned to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the grave sins of their inhabitants. Abraham pleaded with God not to kill all the inhabitants for there should be some righteous people amongst them: 50, 45, 30, maybe 20, finally the Lord settled for 10. Finally only Lot, his wife and his two daughters were saved. Lot’s wife, who had disobbeyed by looking at the destruction with a burning rain of sulfur, was changed into a pillar of salt. 

 

Events from the Old Testament served as prefigurement of events from the New Testament: here, of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel.

 

 

 

Because it is an excellent example of middle 16th century Flemish landscape painting.