Variation on Francesco Cairo

Farsettiarte, from Italy, sells on 30 October 2015 a "Lombardian School, 17th century" Martyrdom of Saint Agnes, estimated at 2,800 to 3,800 Euro.

It is a copy with variations of a work by Francesco Cairo (1607-1665) from the Galleria Sabauda in Turin (information and image from FondazioneZeri). The painting for sale looks less subtle, less of a painting and more of a drawing, e.g. in the arm of the killer. But it is nevertheless painted with a lot of skill, and if not by Cairo is made by a good painter anyway. If it was by Cairo, it would be worth ten times the estimate: as a copy, the price is probably about right.

After Jan Brueghel or Orrente?

Contrary to my habit, I only post this one after the fact as I only found this auction too late. Italian auctions aren't as organised (as a group) as these of some other countries. Then again, Belgian and Dutch auctions are in that regard probably even worse...

At FarsettiArte, Italian auction house in Milan and some other cities, they sold today a "17th century Flemish School" Garden of Eden scene, estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 Euro.

The same composition (with some strategically placed clothing added) was sold in 1991 at Christie's as one of four related works from the circle of Pedro Orrente, Spanish painter from around 1600. Together they fetched £44,000.

But the puzzle doesn't end there. Major elements of the composition reappear in a work by or attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger. Brueghel is younger than Orrente, but is not known (as far as I know) for copying works by Orrente. None of the three works shown here comes online with any indication of the link between them, or the common origin.