Thursday 25 May 2017

"Dutch painter" is a painting from the workshop of Abraham van Cuylenborch

Wannenes, from Italy, sells on 31 May 2017 as lot 533 a "Dutch painter, 18th-19th century" Bathing nymphs estimated at 500 to 800 Euro.

Another, at first sight better painted version of the work, but with about the same dimensions, was for sale at Dorotheum in 2016 with an estimate of 6,000 to 7,000 Euro. There it was called a Bath of Diana. It wasn't sold.


The work for sale lacks the same quality, but I wonder whether this is due to some poor overpainting. Normally, a poorer copy wouldn't have such rather greyed out but otherwise good figures in the background, I think. The second and fourth picture show the same details in the Dorotheum version.

Anoother version was available from Sotheby's (2016, est. 10,000 Euro, unsold) Other, simlilar works by Cuylenborch usually fetch around 4,000 to 5,000 Euro.

Considering all this, the estimate for this one seems to be too low and a 1,500 Euro estimate may be more correct if you are willing to take the gamble that cleanup will indeed reveal more detail and quality.

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