Monday 4 March 2019

Ambrosius Francken

Mercier, from France, sells on 31 March 2019 (the sale with the new Rubens sketch) a "Workshop of Ambrosius Francken the Elder" Death of Sapphira, estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 Euro.

While the link with Ambrosius Francken is clear, the "workshop of" seems a bit optimistic and this is probably a "copy after". Even so, this is a minor version of an important painting of this somewhat minor artist, and deserves attention.The below three examples come from "Technical examination and conservation of the painting 'The death of Sapphira' by Ambrosius Francken II" by Damian Luzin, from 2013.


Other versions include:
 Besançon Cathedral, Ambrosius Francken I
 Krakow, unknown artist close to Ambrosius Francken I
 Dublin Castle, Ambrosius Francken II

The version for sale is obviously closer to the second and especially the third version. This would mean that it is more likely to be a Workshop of Ambrosius Francken the Younger than the Elder. 

Not all good versions were included in the Luzin article though, especially this one from the Phoenix Museum, attributed to Ambrosius Francken I, but very close to (but superior to) the Dublin version. The identical colours indicate that whoever painted the Dublin version had direct access to the Phoenix one (or a common one between them), while the one for sale is more separated and uses different colours. 

The RKD also mentions a version sold in Stockholm in 2000, but whether this is the same as any of the above versions is unclear. 

The estimate for this work is probably about right, and it was a good opportunity to show the other versions of this painting.

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