Friday 22 March 2019

Flemish demons

Two Flemish paintings involving demons, witches and the like.

The first is at Horta, Belgium, on 25 March 2019: a Temptation of Saint Anthony, "Flemish School 17th century, old attribution to David Ryckaert III", estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 Euro.

It contains many of the typical elements of such paintings, as can be seen in the works of Teniers, Ryckaert, or Saftleven. We have a demon riding a pig, and carrying a type of bucket or small cauldron (referring again to witchcraft) as his helmet. There is a horse's skull, another skull with a tail (or is it a blonde braid?), and at the bottom left another skulled demon; and there is the fiddler, a strange combination of a a commedia dell'arte dwarflike figure with a chicken foot. That last figure seems to be the most original, I can find many musicians in such Temptation paintings, but none similar to this one.

The painting seems to be an original composition or a copy after an unknown work, as I haven't found a better painted similar work nor an engraving it may be based on. The estimate is probably about right, as the topic is always popular and intriguing, even if the work itself is not of the highest quality.

The second is Westport, USA, on 31 March 2019: the Gates of Hell, "Flemish School 16th or 17th century", estimated at $1,500 to $2,500 but in a very poor condition.




This one is harder to decipher. It has elements of a Gates of Hell, but no Jesus nor humans. It has elements of a Witches sabbath, but the most obvious "witch" has wings, which is not common for depictions of witches and points more to a demon or fallen angel. It has elements of a Saint Anthony (the three headed dog strongly reminds me of a similar one in a Temptation by Teniers), but lacks the central figure. It seems likely that the painting is incomplete, even possibly missing parts between the two planks, but also on the left side and the bottom.

The work reminds me most of the demonic visions by Cornelis Saftleven, but isn't refined enough to be by him. Still, it is a very unusual painting, full of originality, and worthy of a thorough restoration.

UPDATE: sold for $5,000!

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