"Attributed to Jan Brueghel II" is just a copy

Deutsch, from Vienna, sells on 24 November a "Attributed to Jan Brueghel II" allegory of the elements, an oil on copper estimated at 1,000 to 2,000 Euro.

I like Jan Brueghel, even II, and I like copies, as regular readers of this blog will know. But this should never be "attributed" to Brueghel, it is a poor and rather boring partial copy of an easily identifiable work, "The element of Air" or "Allegory of the air with Uranus" (one version, not pictured, now in the Kingston Lacy Estate, Dorset), in itself a copy of a work by Jan Brueghel I (first image Brueghel II, next image Brueghel I).

Perhaps it is a good work in a terrible condition, and can it be salvaged with lots of TLC. But I doubt it, it looks to me like one of these works deliberately kept dirty to entice sleeper hunters, but with no happy end in this case.

UPDATE: sold for 2,600 Euro, someone believes there is a salvageable work beneath all that!

Costantini watercolour

Mallam's sells on 4 November 2015 a '19th century Italian school indistinctly signed Constantini" watercolour of people beneath a Classical arch, estimated at £70 to £150.

This wonderful picture is probably the work of Giuseppe Costantini (1843-1893), a very skilled watercolour painter who made many genre scenes but whose rarer views of Rome and ancient monuments fetch more money in general. The most extreme was a lot of 4 such watercolours which fetched 100,00€ at EuropAuction in 2012.

The other posible Costantini as author of this work is Castore Costantini, also a 19th century Italian painting views of Rome and the monuments, and whose similar works fetch from 1,000 to 5,000 Euro.

Even as an anonymous work, this should be worth £1,000 or (much) more, as a very decorative and evocative watercolour, way better than the usual poor paintings one can buy for £70 or £150. If it is confirmed to be by Giuseppe Costantini, it would probably be a work of £5,000 to £10,000 instead. If you can get it at anything near the estimated value, you get a very nice bargain in any case.

UPDATE: sold for £720, or ten times the estimate, which is a lot more reasonable and reflective of the quality of the work (irrespective of the artist).

Dutch School Babel is circle of Jan Brueghel

Quoniam, Spanish auction house, sells on 4 November 2015 a "Dutch School, 16th century" Tower of Babel, estimated at 3,500 to 4,000 Euro. They also sell separately a second painting which actually forms a pair with this one, a Landscape with a Windmill with the same estimate.

The Tower of Babel is a good and nearly contemporary copy after a work by Jan Brueghel II and Joos de Momper II, sold at Christie's in 2006 and shown at the RKD site. This would make it early 17th century instead of 16th century. If the 2006 information is still up-to-date, the work in that auction and one sketch by Jan Breughel II, and now this work, would be the only versions of this painting currently known.

That auction discusses how of eight Brueghel sketches, only the one of the Babel painting could be linked to an actual painting. It would be very interesting to know if any of the other seven sketches could be linked to the second painting, but I don't seem to be able to access these sketches online. Jan Brueghel II certainly painted many paintings with similar (though somewhat wider and more realistic) windmills and scenes.

I see no iconographical reason why these two paintings would belong together, they don't seem to have any relation qua story, but I may well miss the deeper meaning of the second painting.

These paintings are not by Brueghel, but are close to him and certainly the Babel (and the combination of the two works) is very interesting. The Babel should fetch the estimate or a bit more, the other work may well fail to sell. It is a great pity that there is a fair chance that they won't be staying together though.

Lempertz "Antwerp Master, ca. 1520" adoration may be by the Master of 1518 or Pieter Coecke

Lempertz, from Germany, sell on 14 November 2015 a, "Antwerp Master, ca. 1520" Adoration of the Kings, estimated at 8,000 to 12,000 Euro.

Unlike many other interesting paintings in the auction, it has no further explanation about the artist, similar works, attribution, ... But the description seems to indicate that they were aware of the extremely similar works that exist by or from the circle of the so-called Master of 1518, an Anonymous Antwerp Master.

Perhaps the closest is the above central panel from a triptych now in the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht, which is sometimes attributed to the Master of 1518, and sometimes (e.g. at the RKD) to a follower of him.

The Harvard Art Museums also own a triptych (again central panel shown) with the same image, attributed to the Master of 1518. This one varies a bit more from the one for sale, but the common origin is clear.

The Brera version is even further removed from the one at Lempertz, but still basically the same painting.

Of course, it would be too simple if there weren't different attributions floating around as well. The above, location unknown, can be found at RKD as "Studio of Pieter Coecke van Aelst", which would date it somewhat later perhaps. It is perhaps even closer to the one for sale than the first one I showed.

The RKD also lists a nearly identical one from the Princeton University Art collections. Other nearly identical ones are this one and this one.

In any case, the one for sale is very close to the above paintings (though only the central panel), and is probably good enough to be considered a Studio of Pieter Coecke or a close circle of Master of 1518 painting. It should be worth considerably more than the estimate, anything below 20,000 Euro seems cheap to me.

UPDATE: sold for 11,160 Euro, cheap in my opinion.

Family prayer before the meal

Henry's, from Germany, sells on 31 October a "Flemish Master of the 17th century" Family before the evening meal, estomated at 600 to 1,300 Euro.

I seem to remember that it was offered a few months ago with a higher estimate, but didn't sell then. I can't find an artist or direct example for this interesting work, but I have found some similar examples.

The closest is the above Adriaen Van Ostade (image from the Rijksmuseum), a poor family before the meal. The family in the picture for sale seems somewhat better off, but still not an obviously wealthy family. The clothing of the boy in both paintings is similar as well, which probably dates the one for sale to the same period as the Ostade from 1653.

Family portraits were common in 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting (I think this one is more Dutch than Flemish), but usually were either the rich and powerful, or the moralising works by Jan Steen and the like. The circle of Van Ostade and similar artists is about the only one that depicted these more everyday family events, and that makes this, despite the relative lack of artistic value or attribution, an interesting and worthwhile painting. A curio, but a nice enough one.

UPDATE: sold for 750 Euro.

Variation on Francesco Cairo

Farsettiarte, from Italy, sells on 30 October 2015 a "Lombardian School, 17th century" Martyrdom of Saint Agnes, estimated at 2,800 to 3,800 Euro.

It is a copy with variations of a work by Francesco Cairo (1607-1665) from the Galleria Sabauda in Turin (information and image from FondazioneZeri). The painting for sale looks less subtle, less of a painting and more of a drawing, e.g. in the arm of the killer. But it is nevertheless painted with a lot of skill, and if not by Cairo is made by a good painter anyway. If it was by Cairo, it would be worth ten times the estimate: as a copy, the price is probably about right.

German "Memento Mori" copies elements from Willem Heda

Horta, from Brussels, sells on 16 November 2015 a "German School, 17th century" Memento Mori, estimated at 2,500 to 3,500 Euro.

It is a nice provincial work, with an interesting iconography and a long inscription in a form of German, which isn't always easy to decipher or translate.

My dodgy transcription and translation:
"Gleich wie der Rauch v. Staub vschwint
Also thuen alle Menschen Kint
Darumb gedenct ein ieder ebn
Dasser bey Chisto mög ewig lebn"

"Like smoke and dust disappear
so do also all people
therefor remember, all of you,
that with Christ you may live forever"

"Das Glück ist ??? und Kugel ründt
Das Glas ist aus geht kurze Stündt
Der Todt ist nah kurz ist die Zeit
Wan der Han kret ist der dag nich weit"

"Luck is ??? and round as a ball
The glass is empty since a short while
Death is near and short is the time
When the rooster crows, the day is near"

"Gott is warhaftig und gerecht
Dir ligt der Herr und auch sein Knecht
Ihr Welt weisen tretet herbeij
Und sagt wer Herr oder Knecht seij"

"God is true and just
Here lies the lord and his servant
Their ways in the world come near
and says who is lord and who is servant"

Many of the visual elements in the painting are explained by the verses, like the appearance of a rooster (which seems to be rather unusual in memento mori paintings). Other ones, like the plants growing in the skulls, are typical and appear in many of these paintings. I'm not really sure what the winged orb signifies, although wings in general are symbols of swiftness and escaping, like the hourglass. It may be a soap bubble, which is also common in these paintings (but never winged). But more likely it is an element from the poem, about Luck being round like a (cannon?)ball.

The rich cup or tazza on the left is remarkable. It is an element of vanitas (which is often used interchangeably with memento mori), the earthly riches you can't take with you after death. But this specific cup, or one extremely close to it, can be found in a vanitas by Willem Heda (ca. 1593-1682), Dutch still life painter. His painting, from 1628, can be found in the Bredius Museum in The Hague, and probably sets an earliest possible date for the painting for sale.

The cups aren't identical, but it seems likely that it is caused by some awkwardness, some troubles by the German painter to get the changed cup (empty instead of full) right. But it could also be that it is just another cup from the same style (and maker?), giving us a period for the painting but no real link with Heda.

The painting and inscription seems to be authentic and linked (although, as is often the case, the inscription may have been regilded a few times over the ages). The work is interesting, a typical memento mori with a few added elements, not very well painted but good enough to be attractive. The estimate seems to be about right.

UPDATE: some people saw even more in it, and it sold for a whopping 20,000 Euro! I didn't guess the price it would fetch, but at least I was good in spotting the interesting painting in the auction. I hope no one thought after my blog that they were buying a real Willen Heda, as that seems highly unlikely. I'm curious to know what they did see in it though...

French School portrait is by or after Justus van Egmont

Hôtel des Ventes du Tarn, in Albi, France, sells on 24 October 2015 a "French School, late 17th century" portrait of Duc Daillon du Lude, Bishop of Albi, estimated at only 150 to 200 Euro.

It is not clear how they knew who the sitter was, but that made it possible for me to find the artist of this portrait (or at least of the original, if this is a copy).

The Bibliothèque de Lille has an engraving of the same sitter, and it turns out to be the same portrait, but in reverse (as one would expect from the original painting). Luckily, it bears the name of the painter, Justus van Egmont (1602-1674), a court painter in France.

The painting for sale is good, but the engraving looks to be more detailed, less flat than the painting: either the painting is a decent copy, or some details are lost (through the ages or under dirt and varnish). Even as a copy, it should be worth more than the estimate. As an original, even if one of the more boring Van Egmonts, it should fetch a few thousand euros at least, with the chance that cleaning or restoration will reveal a much finer picture.

Follower of Abraham van Beyeren or Pieter Claesz

De Vuyst, from Belgium, sells on 24 October 2015 an "Anonymous, 17th - 18th century, possibly environment of Pieter Cornelis van Rijck" Still Life, a large work (92 by 140cm) estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 Euro.

It is a very nice work, with lots of details, painted in a lively manner (less "flat" than many second-rate still lifes). I tried to identify the artist (or school) by focusing on similar details in other Flemish or Dutch still lifes, but while I found many related works, I couldn't really pinpoint one name. The most likely is Abraham van Beyeren (1620-1690), a Dutch master. The author given in the description, Pieter Cornelisz de Rijck, (1567-1637) seems less likely to me, as he seems too early for some details.

De Rijck is perhaps the artist for works like the "Rich Man and Lazarus" (pictured, now reassessed as "anonymous").

A closely related work, sold at Sotheby's as anonymous (ca. 1610), shows a copper kettle which is quite similar to the one in the work for sale. The Sotheby's is better painted, more detailed and correct, though rather posed.

The work for sale is more of a "Pronkstilleven", a still life showcasing richdom and opulence. which only became popular after 1640 (i.e. too late for Rijck and the like). Adriaen van Utrecht was the first great master of the genre, and Abraham van Beyeren perhaps the most important. Central elements, aside from rich fruits, were often a nautilus shell cup, silverware, and two things represented here as well, the "Buckelpokal" (no real English translation seems to exist, it's an elaborate golden or gilded cup on  a stem, often with a statue on top of the lid), and porcelain or delftware. Above is an example of Carstian Luyckx showing most of these elements, with on the right two Buckelpokals; and an example from Peter Willebeeck, with the pokal as central element.

Luxurious porcelain or earthenware can be seen in e.g. the above work by Jan Davidsz de Heem. The detail is from the work for sale, for comparison.

The Pokal often was rather bulbous (hence the "Buckel", German for "stud" as a rounded ornament). Abraham van Beyeren was one of the few masters of this genre to also include non-bulbous Pokals, like in the first of the above examples (the second is by Willem Kalf, from the Rijksmuseum; the third is by Pieter Claesz.). The fourth image is the Pokal from this painting, again for comparison. Sadly, I haven't found an identical one in any painting, as that would most likely seal the attribution.

Beyeren is also one of the few of these painters to use a similar copper kettle like the one in the work for sale. The above, from the Mauritshuis, again isn't the same kettle (too bad...). The second example, by Frans Ykens, also isn't quite the same thing. The third is again the one for sale...

Usually, in this paintings there is an element of the vanitas-genre, a warning that all luxury and bling-bling is only temporarily (either as a well-meant message or as a superfluous extra to appease the more conservative critics). Typical is an empty glass or roemer on its side, or a nearly-empty glass or bottle (the more in-your-face types include a skull). I haven't found another example with an empty glass with an orange (or other citrus fruit) peel in it. Many paintings feauture a nearly empty glass with the peel in it though. Typical is the bottom example by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, from the Met. Other examples can be found in the work of Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Elder. The difference in painting quality with the work for sale is obvious, but keep in mind that this is comparing a smallish detail to a full work.

Now, I haven't spent a lifetime studying these still lifes, so probably for most things I state above a better example can be found and my statements refuted: please do, I like to learn about these things. But with what I know and have found, it seems obvious that this painting is from ca. 1640-1650, not from Rijcke or someone around him, but more likely somewhere close to Abraham van Beyeren. It isn't a masterpiece, not like the Heda or Kalf I pictured, but it is a good example of this genre, the zenith of the still-life in some aspects, and should be worth a lot more than what is estimated. Compared to what many utterly boring still lifes from this period fetch, it should get 10,000 Euro.

UPDATE: sold for 3,300 Euro, above the highest estimate but way below what I felt it should be worth.

Update from 19/10/2015. Looking at this further, another likely candidate, not for the immediate artist but for the circle, seems to be Pieter Claesz (1597-1660), a Flemish painter who was mainly active in Haarlem. This painting should be compared to his later, post-1640 work.

His works contains quite similar elements, including not-bulbous buckelpockals (example from the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meisters pictured), lidded pitchers of the same model, ...

UPDATE 29/12/2015: a reader alerted me to an art shop site, anticstore.com, where Galerie FC from Paris (sounds more like a soccer club!) offers this painting, still attributed (incorrectly in my view) as "Dutch School of the end of the 16th century, attributed to Pieter Cornelisz van Rijck or Ryck", but with a much more realistic price tag of 15,800 Euro. So it seems that I wasn't the only one believing that this painting was worth a lot more!

UPDATE 07/10/2016: still for sale at Galerie FC, now for 11,800 Euro. 
 

Unusual and cheap "Ceres" portrait, circle of Claude Deruet

Chaprais, in Besançon, France, sells on 22 October a "17th century" Portrait of a lady as Ceres, estimated at 400 to 500 Euro.

It is a rather unusual painting. Portraits of ladies as goddesses, usually Diana but also Ceres, appear relatively frequent. Portraits of ladies in the style we have here are also relatively frequent (though rarely with a white-and-golden dress). But the combination? I couldn't find another French Ceres portrait in this style.

The painter must be searched in the circle of Claude Deruet (1588-1660). The comparison with his "Lady dressed as Diana" (which may also be by Henri Beaubrun, but looks to me closer to Deruet) shows obvious similarities, although the Diana is somewhat better painted. Other Deruet paintings show more skill still, the difference between his own works and studio works is often great. Of course, it could also be the work of one of the Dumonstiers working in this period, their style is usually more individualised but otherwise comparable.

The dress and hairdo are typical for French and English portraits from around 1620-1630, like the above (better) one by Daniel Mytens of Catherine Howard.

A dress similar to the one here can be found in the above portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts from around 1620.

As for the Ceres-type, the best example I know of is the Portrait of Maria de Tassis by Van Dyck, from the Liechtenstein Collection (painted ca. 1629). Subject, dress, hairdo, all are from the same period and type; but the painting is incomparable much better...

In any case, the painting for sale is cheap for the  reasonable quality, good condition and unusual look. Getting this for less than 1,000 Euro is a bargain.