Monday 5 June 2017

"Second half 18th century" harbour scene is work by member of the Grevenbroeck family

Carlo Bonte, from Belgium, sells on 14 June 2017 a "Second half 18th century" Ships in a Levantine port, estimated at 300 to 500 Euro.

It is a work by or after Orazio or Jan Grevenbroeck. Jan II Grevenbroeck is listed as a Dutch painter, even though he was born (1731) and died (1801) in Venice. Orazio Grevenbroeck was the son of Jan I Grevenbroeck and was active in Paris and Dordrecht (around 1670-1690: his date of death is sometimes given as 1730). Whether he was related to Jan II Grevenbroeck is not certain (though it seems likely, considering the name and comparable style). The missing link may be Charles-Leopold Grevenbroeck, son of Orazio, active between 1717 and 1759: he worked as the court painter to Louis XV but afterwards went to Italy and died in Naples in 1759. Another, perhaps even more likely candidate is Alessandro Grevenbroeck, probably the younger brother of Orazio, and active in Venice between 1717 and 1737, i.e. when Jan II was born. The RKD doesn't mention him at the page about Jan II, and lists at the page for Alessandro a certain "Giovanni de Grevembroch" as possibly his son: it doesn't take a genius to recognise Giovanni as the Italian form of Jan though ;-) Giovanni Grevembroch is in multiple sources said to have lived from 1731 to 1807 (so same year of birth, but slightly different year of death, though easily misread), and to have been of German descent (e.g. at the Correr Museum). The link between Giovanni and Jan has been made by other sources already, but a page discussing the full probable lineage, from Jan I over Orazio and Alessandro to Jan II, seems to be missing.

Orazio, Alessandro and Jan II are well-known for paintings like the work for sale, with ships in oriental-looking fantasy ports, often with one big vessel and a high lighthouse or watchtower.

Sotheby's sold in 1999 a work they attributed to Orazio, but which at the RKD is re-attributed to Jan II Grevenbroeck. The similarities with the work for sale are obvious.

The painting should easily surpass the very low estimate and go for 3,000 Euro instead.

UPDATE: sold for 4,500 Euro!

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