Road to Calvary may be Circle of Marcellus Coffermans

Koller, Swiss auction house, sells on 16 September 2015 a "Flemish School, late 16th / early 17th century" Road to Calvary, a small (38 by 52 cm) oil on panel estimated at 4,000 to 6,000 Swiss Francs (or about the same in Euros).

The picture caught my eye because of the rather erratic movements of some of the characters. It turns out that this can be seen in many Flemish depictions of the Carrying of the Cross from this period.

By far the most closely related picture I could find on the RKD is one by Marcellus Coffermans, active ca. 1520-1578. Although it is even smaller than the one for sale (23 by 19) and varies in details, it is obvious that the two paintings are based on the same model (either one may even be the model), and perhaps even come from the same studio or artist. However, the completely different colours indicate that both may be based on the same engraving or drawing instead. The one for sale seems to be a better picture though (unlike what I usually highlight), even taking into account the somewhat larger scale. Many faces are much better, certainly for the background figures like the women on the left.

If it would turn out to be a work by Coffermans, then it should be worth a lot more than the estimate. As it stands, it is an interesting work of considerable quality which merits further investigation into the origin, and which should easily be worth the estimate. UPDATE: not sold.

Other paintings with similar depictions (a Road to Calvary with one soldier doing a "dancing" attack on Christ, and with either a similar one at the front or with someone pulling the cross with some ropes) are rather common, starting with this one by the German painter Hans Maler, ca. 1500.

The iconography enters the Flemish art with the likes of Pieter Coecke and Barend van Orley, with many anonymous followers over the next 50 years or so. The link between Germany and Flanders may in this case have been Jan Joest Van Calcar, with a similar work around 1500, although the movements are more restrained and realistic here. (You can usually rightclick the images in my blogs to see a larger version!).

UPDATE 2: again for sale at Koller on 18 March 2016 with the extremely wide estimate of 2,000 to 6,000 Swiss Francs.  

UPDATE 3: sold for 3,200 Swiss Francs.