"Immaculate Conception" Stone of Rosetta

Carlo Bonte, from Belgium, sells on 28 October 2015 a "Flemish, 16th century, unsigned Laudate of Mary, the Most Beautiful and Immaculate" (translating their description), a depiction of the symbols of the Immaculate Conception. It is a small oil on panel (31 by 43 cm) estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 Euro.

The topic isn't uncommon in 16th century Flemish painting, and the composition is taken from an original by Adriaen Isenbrant (one version in the Phoenix Art Museum, black and white picture from the RKD), which has often been copied (Warsaw Museum, colour picture from the RKD).

The one for sale is one of the more mediocre copies (though not all that terrible), and normally wouldn't be worth a blog post. But (as far as I know) very unusual is the addition of the explanation to all symbols on the painting. The few similar (though much better) examples I could find were one by Juan de Juanes from ca. 1530, and a less comparable but much more refined one from the Breviarum Grimani (1515-1520, anonymous but Flemish).

All these attributes and names for them are well-known to people interested in Early Netherlandish painting or Marianic iconography, but it still is intriguing to see them all like this. Some are abbreviated, some are rather poorly written. Most are from Bible texts (usually originally not about Mary, but reinterpreted later), and include (roughly clockwise starting at the bottom right)

*"Fos. Hortoru" for the Fons Hortorum, the Fountain in the Garden
*"Platacio Rosae" for the Plantatio Rosae, the Rosebush
*"Lilium Convallium", the Lily of the Valleys
*"Hortus Coclusus" for Hortus Conclusus, the Enclosed Garden
*"Sicut Liliu Iter Spinas" for Sicut Lilium Inter Spinas, As the Lily Among Thorns
*"Puteus Aquarum Viventium", The Well of Living Waters
*"Turris Davidicum Propugnaculum": Turris Davidica, the Tower of David; Propugnaculum is Fortress, and is also often used for Mary, but not usually in combination with Turris Davidica
*"Cedrus Exaltata", the Exalted Cedar
*"Electa Ut Sol", Bright as the Sun
*"Pulchra Ut Luna", Beautiful as the Moon
*"Tota Pulchra Es Amica Mea Et Macula Non Est in Te": You are all Beautiful, my Friend, and There is no Spot in you
*"Stella Maris", Star of the Sea
*"Porta Coelis" for Porta Coeli, Heaven's Gate
*"Civitas Dei", City of God
*"Speculu Sine Macula" for Speculum Sine Macula, the Stainless Mirror
*"Oliva Speciosa", the Olive Tree

 As a nearly 500 years old painting in fairly reasonable condition, adequately painted and with the bonus of these explanatory scrolls, it shouldn't have too much trouble making its estimate.

UPDATE: the work is now for sale at Christie's (South Kensington, 28 April 2016) as a "Follower of Gerard David" (? I can't see the link) with an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000, or more than double the previous estimate. I don't know whether it sold last time, or for how much.

UPDATE 2: sold for £6,000, nice price for this.

UPDATE 3: more information on this type of painting can be found at a Christie's catalogue entry for an Isenbrant painting, sent to me by a reader of the blog. It clarifies that it isn't a depiction of the Immaculate Conception Virgin, but a Virgin of the Litanies instead.