Simpson Galleries, from Texas, sell on 8 November 2015 a "Dutch School, 17th century (dated 1672)" Flagellation of Christ, estimated at $400 to $600.
It is a copy after a Frans Francken II work sold by
Bonham's in 2012 for £5,400. The Bonham's version is clearly better painted, and if the date on the work for sale is authentic, it can't be a Francken II in any case. It isn't good enough to be attributed to one of the other known Francken's either and should be considered an anonymous Flemish work. The differences between the original and the copy may be due to a creative copier, or because there existed other currently unknown versions from the Francken workshops (which would be rather standard practice for them). It isn't the most common Francken work (and I'm always a bit suspicious if a work is unknown, but a few years after an original appears suddenly some weak old copies come on the market), so if you want to have a complete collection of Francken compositions but can't afford an original, here's your chance! It should fetch the top estimate but not much more, as it is interesting but not very well painted.
UPDATE: sold for $1,400, the one time I predict a painting will at most make its top estimate it of course more than doubles it.
Here's one I just came across, though "copy" would be a strong word. The central composition is too similar to be anything but after FFII, but it has marked differences, including a postural stretch to get the kick from Tiepolo's composition in. Enjoying your blog very much.
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Thanks! It is indeed a mixture of the Francken and something else, and again not by any of the Franckens but some later copyist.
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