Some lots from Rops

Rops, from belgium, sells on 15 and 16 December a few interesting lots.

Lot 1918 is a "German School" portrait of Ioannes Draconites, estimated at 4,000 to 6,000 Euro.

Johannes Draconites (1494-1566) was a German theologian and humanist. The portrait here matches the few known portraits, so no problem there, and is actually the best portrait of him among those I found online.

The painting was sold by Galerie Moderne in 2017 (as "German School, 16th century"), where it fetched 34,000 Euro against a 4,000 Euro estimate.

It was then offered as a work by Bartholomäus Bruyn the Elder on 18 May 2019 at Lempertz, with an estimate of 60,000 Euro to 80,000 Euro, but failed to sell and was afterwards removed from the website. And now it is back on the market at the original price and description... An interesting work, worth more than the estimate, but probably rather "burned" by now to expect an actual profit.

UPDATE: sold for 13,000 Euro!

Lot 1937 is a "Joos de Momper" landscape estimated at 600 to 800 Euro.

While the work isn't as good as known similar works by the artist, and should probably be described as workshop or follower, it still is a very good work for the price, and should fetch 2,000 Euro instead. The two details above compare similar bits from the one for sale (above) and a winter landscape from a private collection, included in the Ertz Catalogue Raisonnée from 1986. The figures are not by Joos de Momper normally though, but by Jan Brueghel II, and the detail from the work for sale closely follows his style.

If it is an authentic work by these two, then I am way too cautious. One sold at Sotheby's in 2014 fetched £386,500! To me eyes, it lacks that intensity, the detailing and colouring from a real work. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if this one became the sleeper of the auction.

UPDATE: indeed, sold for 30,000 Euro!!

Unless of course lot 1986, a 1544 portrait of Emperor Charles V, estimated at 800 to 1,200 Euro, is even more interesting.

The auction house gives no indication of date and origin, and the estimate seems to suggest that they doubt ots authenticity. The face seems right, the date matches the age on the image, so if it is a fake, it was done cleverly. It can also be a much more recent copy of an old work of course.

The text on the outer rim reads "S. Propagand(e?) Anno Aetatis S. XXXXIIII" "Gloriosiss. Victoriosiss. Clementiss. Imp. Carolus V." "PP. ReiFubi" (no clear space between Rei and Fubi).

The peculiarity of one gloved hand and one holding the other glove is reminiscent of the portrait of Charles V by Titian fom 1548, now in the Alte Pinakothek.

If this is an original, contemporary portrait of Charles V from a painter from the German School, it should be worth around 10,000 Euro instead.

UPDATE: sold for 6,500 Euro, nice.

Lot 2097 is nothing spectacular, just a bargain in my opinion. A beautiful drawing of a Neogothic building (or design for one), very decorative, even if we don't know the name of the architect or whether the house is real or not. At 100 to 160 Euro, you get a large work (98 by 66 cm) which would fit perfectly in many houses. They offer a whole series of good architectural coloured drawings, but this one seems to be the best.

UPDATE: sold for 100 Euro, people didn't really share my enthusiasm.

Finally, lot 2198, is a "15th century Italian school of Lorenza de Paolo", an ordination of a priest/saint estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 Euro.

It looks like the work of a miniaturist who tried to paint at a larger scale, ca. 1480-1500 (perhaps because the market for miniatures was diminishing with the introduction of book printing?). The problem with the description is that I can't find any trace of a Lorenzo de Paolo. "Lorenza" is unlikely in any case, but no Lorenzo de Paolo or variation thereof seems to be known either. Perhaps they meant Giovanni di Paolo? He also painted with these heavy folds, and made both panel paintings and illuminations, so there may be a link, but it seems tenuous.

I haven't been able to find a more precise subject for the painting (i.e. which saint?), and the iconography looks to be rather unusual. The value seems about right though.

UPDATE; indeed, sold for 3,600 Euro.

On the 16th they sell lot 5009, a poster estimated at 80 to 120 Euro.

It is a badly damaged lot, torn and darkened, but it turns out to be a highly desirable work anyway (assuming that it is an original, which seems likely). It is a poster for "Les Montmartroises" "Poésies et chansons par Jean Goudezki" "Les musiques par Léopold Gangloff" "Editeur Georges Ondet" with an address in Paris, and a small note that the poster may not be sold.

It turns out to be a poster by Georges de Feure (1868-1943) for the famous Chat Noir cabaret. Another one was sold at ArtPrecium in 2018 for 2,000 Euro!

Now, there is good and bad news. The bad news is that, apart from the condition issues already noted, the one for sale misses the leftmost part, with the signature and indication of Chat Noir. The discoloration is also much more obvious when compared to one in good condition.

So what's the good news, apart from this being a sought-after poster? Well, the one sold was a nice format, 31 by 79 cm. The one for sale now though is 128 by 63 cm! At double the size of the other one, it looks to be much rarer still. I can find information about the small one from a few other sales (Sotheby's Fine posters auction, 1979, Swann Auctions in 2008, and another sale in 1968) and a poster catalogue from 1977, but the large one is never mentioned as far as I can see. Even a book on Georges de Feure only mentions the small one.

Which means that I have no clue about the value. If it is original (and my gut instinct says yes), then a complete one in good condition may be worth 10,000 Euro. An incomplete, battered one? No idea, but definitely more than 80 Euro surely?

UPDATE: not sold. Not an original? Or is an original, even if rare and sought after, worthless in this condition? No idea.