Friday 11 September 2015

17th century Susanna is copy after lost Rubens painting

Leonhardt, from Germany, sells on 26 September 2015 a 17th century oil on panel of "Susanna bathing", estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 Euro with a starting price of 780 Euro.

It is a reasonable copy after a lost work by Rubens, only known through a very good drawing and engraving by Lucas Vorsterman from 1620, and some other poor painted copies after the engraving. The painting here is also based on the engraving, not on the original painting, but it stays closer to the spirit and style of the original than some others.

This version, correctly attributed to a "Follower of Rubens", smaller, more bland and lacking some details, but giving the impression of being made by a better draughtsman than the one for sale nevertheless, sold at Christie's in 2005 for £1,440 or about mid-estimate for the one for sale now.

The one for sale looks convincing, but falls apart when zooming in, typical for such copies of course. Still, it is an attractive work, and interesting for any lover of Flemish Baroque painting, and should easily be worth the estimate.
UPDATE: sold for 2,400 Euro, as expected.

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