Monday, 4 November 2019

"Flemish School, late 16th": follower of the Master of the View of Saint Gudula?

Horta, from Belgium, sells on 11 November 2019  a "Flemish School, late 16th century" three scenes from the Passion, estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 Euro.

These three paintings (probably wings of a polyptych, perhaps surrounding a centre image in wood sculpture) are now placed together in one frame. The overall size is only 48 by 61 cm, so this was probably intended for private devotion or a small side chapel, not a main altar piece (it might have been the altar piece for a small parish church, but then the quality seems too good). They seem older than the auction house thinks, but have suffered somewhat through the ages.

Looking for possible artists, I came across the Master of the View of Saint Gudula, a painter working in Brussels between 1480 and 1500. The Saint Gudula is the Cathedral of Brussels.

Especially the left panel, the Flagellation, is rather similar, both the architectural background and the placement and attitudes of the figures.

The RKD lists two versions, both for sale in 1950, 2 Both have similar dimensions as well, with a height of 46 cm.

The works for sale are not by the same hand as the Gudula panels, but the influence seems clear, and I would date them only slightly later, between 1500 and 1525. As such, they are rather cheaply priced, even taking into account the damage.

UPDATE: sold for 22,000 Euro!

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