Thursday 23 February 2017

Unusual Flemish "Adoration of the Magi"

Bruun Rasmussen, from Denmark, sells on 28 February 2017 a "Flemish School, 16th century" Adoration of the Magi, estimated at 2,700 to 4,000 Euro.

It is a highly unusual work, and although there aren't any interesting revelations I can offer about it, I still wanted to highlight it here.

Aspects I couldn't immediately find in other Flemish works of the period are the combination of a Maria lactans, the Virgin suckling the child, with an adoration of the magi; the lack of gifts from the magi, and the setting, against an almost Italienate background house and with a half column in the front. All highly symbolic, no doubt, but not really clear what it means. The central theme being overwhelmed by the soldiers in the background also gives a different image than most Adorations.

The painting is not executed brilliantly, and it may well be that this is a copy after a better work, but I couldn't find it.  I'm not convinced it is Flemish, but I can't really place it elsewhere with any certainty either. A 16th century date seems probable though.

The onlookers from a higher window in the background are more typically seen in an Adoration of the Shepherds than of the Magi, for some reason, like in the above by El Greco.

The value is about right, but for someone who does know more about this it might be worth more, and it certainly is interesting from an art historic point of view.

UPDATE: sold for 10,750 Euro or 4 times the estmate, so there clearly was something unusual about it!

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