Monday 18 February 2019

Unidentified Gerard de la Vallée work again for sale: a look at the paintings shown in it

Horta, from Belgium, sells on 25 February 2019 a "Flemish School, 17th century" Saint Cecilia, estimated at 7,000 to 10,000 Euro.

I have already at length commented on this work when it was for sale at Carlo Bonte in May 2017, so I'll not dwell on the presumed authorship of Gérard de la Vallée again.But at the time, I didn't pay attention to the different paintings and texts visible in the work, even though that is often one of the most interesting aspects of such works.


On the left, we have a few books on the table, including one opened music book, but this is too blurry to make out any further. Above it, the pedestal of the table organ has an inscription which is impossible to decipher, but where individual characters can be read. I presume that, if it is supposed to be a real inscription, it contains a date (a chronograph?) or an indication of a Bible verse, as it seems to have too many Roman numeral characters in it for a standard text. It starts, I think, with "X LURII" (or LURN?), and the first line again ends with X and has an L in it. The second line seems to read "X  D V N D L  L ..."? It could be that the Xs are just decoration at the start and end of the lines though.  Even so, I have no idea what it is supposed to say (a dedication? The name of the organ builder? The signature of the painter? Random letters?)



The wings of the organ show the resurrected Christ defeating death, and a crucifixion. Above the crucifixion is a text I again can't decipher, even though it looks to be a "real" text. The top is "N S G(?)", second line is "M S I(?) O)", third line is "H ? T T", fourth line is very unclear but seems to end with an A, and I think there is a final fifth line as well. The two paintings are rather typical Flemish productions of the first half of the 17th century, with a crucifixion reminiscent of the compositions of Rubens or Jordaens (though with a less muscled Jesus).



The large painting at the back shows angels playing music. Again, I couldn't find a clear origin for this work, but it seems to be inspired by work by Rubens, Frans Francken or even Peeter de Witte. The cello or bass playing angel on the right seems a rather common theme. With Rubens, it is on the left, but that's because it is a modello, and the finished tapestry has the instrument on the right. The Francken III (with Cornelis de Bailleur) is remarkable as it is also a Saint Cecilia, with the saint in a rather similar position; but here the musician angels are not depicted on a painting, but as really there.



The work for sale also has a rather nondescript common Virgin and Child sculpture in the back, then a sleeping figure which from a distance looked like a sleeping child Jesus but on closer inspection may be another figure as well, a Cupid or an unidentified woman, and on the right a more interesting portrait of a couple with a dove, presumably a wedding portrait.

All in all, no recognisable works, but a variety of subjects and styles, which all seem to date to around 1630 or slightly later.

UPDATE: sold for 5,000 Euro.

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