Selected works from French auctions

Browsing to Interenchères (the site grouping most French auctions, apart from the Drouot group mainly), I came across some copies or otherwise interesting paintings which on their own don't merit a blog post, but together may bring some light entertainment.

Versailles enchères sells on 4 May 2019 a "French School, in the manner of Jean Fouquet" portrait of a gentleman, estimated at 80 to 100 Euro. It is a very small panel (17 by 11,5 cm), and the estimate seems to indicate a much later date. However, I see no obvious reason to dismiss this painting as a later work, and the actual date on it (1545, though there may be some "I" missing at the end) is perfectly in line with the style of painting, clothing, beard, ... It is not good enough to be by Fouquet or the like, and I haven't been able to identify the sitter, but if it is an original from 1545, it should be worth 2,000 Euro or thereabouts.

Poitiers enchères sells on 11 May 2019 an "Icon" of the Virgin and Child, a panel painting of just 23 by 17 cm, estimated at 50 to 100 Euro.

It is a copy of the Cambrai Madonna, a 15th(?) century painting thought at the time to be actually painted by Saint Luke (and thus showing the "true image" of the Virgin), copied hundreds of times, and influential in bringing the post-Byzantine style to France and the Netherlands (I already discussed this in a previous post about another copy). This one is probably 17th or 18th century, but is charming and should be worth 500 Euro.

Herbette, in Doullens, sells on 12 May 2019 a "Flemish School, 16th century" Apostle in an Italienate landscape, estimated at 1,300 to 1,700 Euro.

It is one of many weak copies after Maarten de Vos (probably through the above engraving by Joannes Sadeler I, courtesy of the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts) and will struggle to fetch the estimate.

The same auction also has an "Italian School, late 17th century" Presentation of Jesus to Saint Catherine (also often known as the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine), a fair-sized (108 by 104 cm) oil on panel estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 Euro. If I had to spend either 1,300 Euro on the above lot or 2,000 Euro on this one, I would choose this one immediately, even though the other is presumably older and in theory closer to my interests.

It is a good copy after Correggio. The original, from the 1520s, can be found in the Louvre, and has about the same dimensions. This copy is painted in a more "sweet", romantic palette, an effect which is mainly caused by being somewhat less detailed and thus lacking some shadows and lines, and having larger patches of uniform colour (and looking more pink as well). But even so it is an attractive, well-executed copy, much better than what one usually gets. I'm not convinced it isn't a lot earlier than the date suggested by the auctioneer, but in any case I guess it should be worth 5,000 Euro. A slightly better copy fetched 8,000 Euro at Bukowski's, while a worse copy fetched £3,000 at Christie's in 2000, and one from the Newark Museum sold for $2,750 at Christie's in 2016.