Freeman's, from the United States, sells on 23 January 2017 a "Flemish School, early 17th century" Fall of Men, an oil on copper estimated at $2,000 to $3,000.
The painting is firmly in the style of Jan Brueghel or Roeland Savery, well-painted but not good enough to be by either.
What is remarkable about this version though is that Adam and Eve have been at some point heavily censured, making them probably the most clothed Fall of Men
ever. It kind of defeats the whole point of the story, which is that until then they were innocent and unaware that they should be ashamed of their nudity. It looks to me as if they have been completely overpainted, not just some clothes added, as e.g. the snake is much better painted than the faces of the two protagonists as well.
The price is probably about right, but the art historical value may be bigger, as rare evidence of what happens to taste and prudity over the ages. If it was my painting, I would get it researched (to see what remains beneath the clothes), but not removed, as it is more interesting with the clothes than without in this case.
No comments:
Post a Comment