"Probably early 17th century Antwerp Master" is Workshop of Hendrick van Balen

Lempertz, from Germany, sells on 20 September 2019 a "Probably Antwerp master, early 17th century" John the Baptist preaching, estimated at 8,000 to 10,000 Euro.

It is a copy after a work by Hendrick van Balen, a version of which was sold at Christie's in 2018 for £200,000. The one for sale, though still very good, is clearly inferior when looking at the detailing, but may be good enough to be called a Workshop version perhaps, or otherwise a School of or Follower of version.

The strange thing is that while for this lot 3, Lempertz didn't find the link with Van Balen, their very next lot is catalogued as a "follower of Hendrick van Balen" with an estimate of 10,000 to 12,000 Euro. This is indeed supported by a similar work at the RKD which was listed as by Hendrick van Balen: if that version was by him, it has to be one of his very last works, as it is unsigned but dated 1632.

I personally like the first lot more than the second one, and would estimate it slightly higher, basically reversing the two estimations.