Wednesday 20 February 2019

Two early "Saint Jerome in the wilderness" versions

Horta, from Belgium, sells on 25 February 2019 two paintings with "Saint Jerome in the wilderness".

The first is described as "Bruges School, ca. 1520" and is estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 Euro.


It is indeed very comparable to works attributed to Adriaen Isenbrant (ca. 1485-1551) or his circle. The first image is a poor reproduction of a painting from the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the second is an "attributed to" from an auction (no idea which though). The description and estimate for this one seem about right.

However, I then found one even closer match, at Karl & Faber auction house, where it is described as "Joachim Patinir".  That one was sold for 8,100 Euro. This one is clearly more of a match than the Isenbrandt ones (the left hand opening the habit, the deep "V" fold between the legs, the way the red mantle is draped over the tree...), so perhaps this one should be recategorised as "Follower of Patinir" as well?


The second is said to be "Flemish School, ca. 1600", with an estimate of 4,000 to 6,000 Euro. It seems to be older though, and looked at first closer to the works of Joachim Patinir.


The main figure turns out to be from a painting by Lucas Gassel (or a follower), known from a sale at Sotheby's in 2006 where it fetched £10,000. It also returns in an anonymous Flemish painting from the second half of the 16th century in the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht (via RKD).

Strange enough, another, almost identical version was sold at Christie's in 2012, but this time as the work of Patinir!


But it also has other Patinir elements, e.g. in the remarkable altar or shrine in front of Saint Jerome. It shares many characteristics with one in a painting sold at Dorotheum in April 2018 for 31,000 Euro, and which was described as Workshop of Patinir.


The Saint Jerome by a follower of Patinir, from the Houston Museum, has also such a shrine. It also has a similar cat with nine tails (or whatever the name is for that flagellation tool).

I think that this second Saint Jerome in the auction is dated somewhat too late, and is underestimated a bit. It should be worth 6,000 to 8,000 Euro instead.

UPDATE: first one unsold, second one sold for 4,000 Euro only.

UPDATE 2: first one again for sale at Horta on 17 June 2019, with a halved estimate of 2,500 to 3,500 Euro. 

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