Mercier, from France, sells on 12 February 2017 an "Attributed to Ferdinand van Kessel" Monkeys shaving Cats, a small panel (24 by 35 cm) estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro. Lot 242, page 45.
This amusing scene can be found in multiple nearly identical works by Abraham Teniers. The best and best preserved one is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, and has identical dimensions to the one here.
The work for sale seems a straight copy after the Teniers, but by a lesser painter. No good reason to attribute it to a van Kessel seems to exist. The estimate seems too high for a copy, even though it is a highly amusing work. 2,000 to 3,000 Euro seems more reasonable.
No comments:
Post a Comment