Word: armida
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Dates: during 1927-1927
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Again a U. S. merchant has snatched from the hands of Europeans a painting steeped in old world tradition. Jacob Epstein, onetime peddler, now potent Baltimore merchant, bought last week from Knoedler & Co. of Manhattan for $250,000 Sir Anthony Van Dyck's "Rinaldo and Armida," just at the moment when British art lovers were raising a smaller sum to bring the painting to the British National Gallery...
Tasso's epic poem, Jerusalem Delivered, was Van Dyck's inspiration for the painting. Armida, a lovely sorceress, tempts Knight Rinaldo from his crusade against the infidel in Jerusalem. The canvas shows Rinaldo, with half his armor off, lolling sublimely in the caresses of Armida and her sprites. Van Dyck painted it expressly for Charles I in 1629 and 1630. It has been in England ever since, until Knoedler & Co. recently bought it, shipped it to Manhattan. Jacob Epstein first saw it in Knoedler's London galleries...