Former "Brueghel the Younger?" now for sale as "Brueghel the Younger"!

Dorotheum, from Vienna, Austria, sells on 18 October 2016 a "Pieter Brueghel II" Flemish proverb tondo, estimated at 180,000 to 220,000 Euro.

It is the same painting I highlighted in my 25 May 2016 post on an auction by Wannenes. It was then "Attributed to Pieter Brueghel (1564-1638)" and estimated at 1,600 to 1,800 Euro only. I discussed the painting and other examples of the same image (engraving, drawing) extensively, but didn't dare to conclude that it really was by Pieter Brueghel II (stating "it seems quite certain that the painting for sale is either by Brueghel II or more likely a direct copy after a painting by him". However, I indicated that the estimate was way too low in any case (even as an old copy), and said it "should be worth a lot more than the estimate, at least 10,000 Euro." I haven't been able to confirm it online yet, but a good source tells me it eventually was sold for 60,000 Euro.

Dorotheum, which doesn't seem to list any provenance, not even the Wannenes sale, had it expertised by Klaus Ertz, who is the current leading expert on Brueghel the Younger, and he has confirmed it as an original work by Brueghel (and also probably an original composition by him, not a copy after his father). It has also been reframed inbetween, the current frame looks more like the original probably. The work may also have been lightly cleaned, or the picture is simply somewhat lighter.

The auction catalogue offers a detailed description of the work and its origins, listing some other versions I hadn't found. It doesn't seem to list the above drawing from the Museum in Dresden though, which is somewhat strange. While I'm a bit disappointed that the one time I had the chance to discover a real Brueghel II, I was too cautious and didn't believ it wise to promote it to you as the real deal, I'm still glad that I did post about it and indicated the origins and qualities of it (and the way too low estimate of the original auction). Very curious to see what it will fetch now of course! The estimate seems cautious for a newly discovered Brueghel II original.

UPDATE: sold for 216,000 Euro, good estimate by the auction house, serious profit for the seller and a bit sour for the seller at the previous auction of course...

Brueghel the Younger?

Wannenes, from Italy, sells on 1 June 2016 an "Attributed to Pieter Brueghel (1564-1638)" tondo of two farmers or peasants, estimated at 1,600 to 1,800 Euro.

The dates make it clear that this is Brughel the Younger, not Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The quality of the work makes me wonder whether it isn't a Brueghel III though. The painting for sale is considerably more simplistic than many certain Brueghel II works, but matches other works sold (sometimes for a lot of money) as by him.

By far the most closely related picture is the above proverb, for sale (but unsold) at Sotheby's in 2008 for an estimated $500,000 to $700,000!! It has the same dimensions as the one for sale, the same or very similar house to the left and farm in the background, and similar figures. The one for sale also seems to illustrate a proverb. The Sotheby's one was signed though, which is of course a big plus. To me, the one for sale now looks more like a copy of a work from the same series than an original, so the big question is whether it is a contemporary copy, or one made more recently (worst case: made after the Sotheby's sale and inspired by it). It certainly is an interesting one to follow.

An auction searcher colleague  posted me better evidence linking this to Brueghel II: an engraving with the same image, with added text (typical for Brueghel proverb paintings) but a different background. I couldn't find a better quality image though.

What I did find was a drawing by Brueghel II of the two figures, from the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

These two images make it undeniable that the basic composition is by Pieter Brueghel II (or less likely by his father). Coupled with the Sotheby painting, which gives us the correct background, it seems quite certain that the painting for sale is either by Brueghel II or more likely a direct copy after a painting by him (and not a copy after the engraving, which has a different background).

The anatomical knowledge and liveliness of a Brueghel II seems to be lacking, and the painting is also dull and brownish, which all helps to make it a less attractive work than what one expects from an authentic Brueghel II. If you believe it to be 17th century (I have no reason to doubt it, but everything gets faked and copied these days), then it should be worth a lot more than the estimate, at least 10,000 Euro.

A Pieter Bruegel tapestry?

Heritage auctions, from the US, sells on 18 December 2015 a "Flemish Baroque tapestry, after Pieter Bruegel, 17th Century" estimated at at least $5,000.

I am not aware of any old tapestry after or designed by Bruegel, nor of any Bruegel drawing or painting depicting this scene, so (assuming my search was somewhat comprehensive) this would be a major find, and the estimate an absolute bargain.

However, nothing in the style of the tapestry remind sme of Bruegel. The design looks to be the right period, with some details which can be found somewhat similar in works by one of the Bruegels (like the pan holding the blood of the boar), but e.g. this detail can also be found in a miniature by Simon Bening.

The design is awkward in details, it looks somehow "off", not consistent enough for what should have been a major work. Is it a later pastiche? My gut feeling says "yes", but I'm no tapestry expert. Calling this "after Pieter Bruegel" seems to be completely wrong though, and I would need strong evidence to change my mind.

Value of it: if it is 17th century, it should be worth more than the estimate, as tapestries of this size aren't an everyday occurrence. If it is 19th century or so, then the work put into it should be worth something, but no artistic value should be given to it. And if it is indeed somehow after Bruegel, there is no way you can have this for less than $100,000.

Dutch School Babel is circle of Jan Brueghel

Quoniam, Spanish auction house, sells on 4 November 2015 a "Dutch School, 16th century" Tower of Babel, estimated at 3,500 to 4,000 Euro. They also sell separately a second painting which actually forms a pair with this one, a Landscape with a Windmill with the same estimate.

The Tower of Babel is a good and nearly contemporary copy after a work by Jan Brueghel II and Joos de Momper II, sold at Christie's in 2006 and shown at the RKD site. This would make it early 17th century instead of 16th century. If the 2006 information is still up-to-date, the work in that auction and one sketch by Jan Breughel II, and now this work, would be the only versions of this painting currently known.

That auction discusses how of eight Brueghel sketches, only the one of the Babel painting could be linked to an actual painting. It would be very interesting to know if any of the other seven sketches could be linked to the second painting, but I don't seem to be able to access these sketches online. Jan Brueghel II certainly painted many paintings with similar (though somewhat wider and more realistic) windmills and scenes.

I see no iconographical reason why these two paintings would belong together, they don't seem to have any relation qua story, but I may well miss the deeper meaning of the second painting.

These paintings are not by Brueghel, but are close to him and certainly the Babel (and the combination of the two works) is very interesting. The Babel should fetch the estimate or a bit more, the other work may well fail to sell. It is a great pity that there is a fair chance that they won't be staying together though.

After Jan Brueghel or Orrente?

Contrary to my habit, I only post this one after the fact as I only found this auction too late. Italian auctions aren't as organised (as a group) as these of some other countries. Then again, Belgian and Dutch auctions are in that regard probably even worse...

At FarsettiArte, Italian auction house in Milan and some other cities, they sold today a "17th century Flemish School" Garden of Eden scene, estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 Euro.

The same composition (with some strategically placed clothing added) was sold in 1991 at Christie's as one of four related works from the circle of Pedro Orrente, Spanish painter from around 1600. Together they fetched £44,000.

But the puzzle doesn't end there. Major elements of the composition reappear in a work by or attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger. Brueghel is younger than Orrente, but is not known (as far as I know) for copying works by Orrente. None of the three works shown here comes online with any indication of the link between them, or the common origin.

Jonah and the Whale, Jan Bruegel or Swiss?

Koller is selling on 25 March 2015 a depiction of the story of Jonah and the Whale, attributed to "Bern, ca. 1660", estimated at 5,700 to 7,600 Euro. UPDATE: not sold.

The restorer of the painting (or the owner at the time) seemed to think it might have been a Jan Brueghel instead, which is obviously quite a different thing.

Perhaps the idea of Brueghel came from a painting like the Christ at Galilee, but it is much better, less naive, than the one for sale here. It is charming in its folk art awkawardness, but the estimate seems a bit steep, and the date perhaps a tad late.