"Italian School" is close to Carlo Crivelli

Vanderkindere, from Brussels, sells on 22 March 2016 an "Ancient work from the Italian School, 16th century frame" Pieta dolorosa, estimated at 800 to 1,200 Euro.

It is not really clear what they mean with the attribution, apparently they aren't sure whether it's an original 15th or 16th c. work, or a 19th c. copy. The frame doesn't seem to be the original one (but is a nice piece in itself).

In any case, the work is close in style to some of the paintings by Carlo Crivelli (1430-1495),  one of the best Venetian painters of the period. Crivelli was a better painter though, bringing more relief to his works, more detail.

The above Pieta from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts shows the similarities (especially the hand of the Virgin, but also the basic aspects of the composition and the background), but also the obvious quality differences.

Another Pieta, from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, shows the similarities in the heads of Christ.

The painter of the work for sale seems to be just slightly more caricatural in his painting of heads, exaggerating  features like noses somewhat.

I would attribute the painting to a Follower of Crivelli, but I am not sure from what period. If it is from the 15th or early 16th century, it should be worth a lot more than the estimate and easily fetch 5,000 Euro, as it is a very nice work.

UPDATE: sold for 4,600 Euro, more than 5 times the estimate and very close to my expected amount.

UPDATE 2: for sale at Van Spengen, in the Netherlands, on 30 August 2016 (lot 575). It is now described as "Spanish School, ca. 1550" and estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro. I don't really see the link to Spain, and Crivelli still isn't mentioned, but the estimate seems fair enough.  

UPDATE 3: sold for 5,000 Euro, no further profit there.