Wednesday 8 June 2016

"Healing of the Blind" is "Elymas struck blind"

Dickhaut, from Maastricht in the Netherlands, sells on 13 June 2016 a "Flemish School, 17th century" Healing of the Blind, a large oil on canvas (92 by 153 cm) estimated at 1,000 to 2,5000 Euro (a rather wide estimate). It is an online auction, one can bid from 10 June 2016 until 13 June 2016 21.00u CET.

The painting is not really similar to other "Healing of the Blind" depictions, as there is not Christ to be seen, but centrally we have a man on a throne with "SPQR", the sign of Rome. It turns out that the story is the exact opposite of the supposed subject, as it depicts "Elymas the sorcerer struck blind before Sergius Paulus". Perhaps the most famous painting of this story is the one by Raphael (pictured, from the Victoria&Albert). 

The one for sale seems to be loosely based on this Raphael (in reverse, so probably after an engraving like the above).

The work for sale comes from the collection of the Ursuline nuns in Venray, and used to be on loan to the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht. This provenance can be deduced from the RKD but isn't given at the auction site, sadly. The estimate is probably about right: the quality of the painting is the typical mediocre Flemish work of the period, churned out by the thousands, but the subject is highly unusual. 

UPDATE: sold for 850 Euro. 

UPDATE 2: Now again for sale at Hargesheimer, in Germany, on 24 September 2016, with an estimate of only 400 Euro, which is cheap (and a serious loss for the seller). It is simply described as "German/Dutch master, 1st half 17th c." and "Bible scene". No provenance is given.

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