Tuesday 25 August 2015

Circle of Denys Calvaert

Hargesheimer, from Germany, sells on 19 September 2015 an "Italo-Flemish School" mid-17th century painting of Saint Margaret and the Dragon, a small (20 by 15cm) oil on copper with an estimate of 850 Euro.

A very similar composition, same size and materials, but with a much more rudimentary painting technique, was sold as "Circle of Denys Calvaert" by Christie's in 2009, and fetched 3,000 Euro. As Denys Calvaert was the archetypical Italo-Flemish painter, the currect description is spot on.

The one for sale now shows a full-length Margaret instead of the half-length one at Christie's, which makes for a better composition (the dragon now seems like a leashed wild animal, instead of a pet like in the older one) and the painting has much more detailing (clothing, but also in the dragon), but isn't a really very good painting, and doesn't seem to be a real Calvaert. Even so, the current estimate seems very low compared to what the previous worse one fetched.

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