PAELINCK, Joseph
(b. 1781, Oostakker, d. 1839, Ixelles)

The Fair Anthia Leading her Companions to the Temple of Diana in Ephesus

1820
Oil on canvas, 230 x 300 cm
Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent

Paelinck was the leader of the group of Neoclassical artists in Ghent. He won a municipal scholarship to study under David in Paris and later worked in Rome and Brussels. His key work is The Fair Anthia Leading her Companions to the Temple of Diana in Ephesus, the theme, harmonious structure and painstaking execution of which make it a textbook example of the classical ideal pursued by David's followers.