"Dutch, ca. 1670" is copy after Vincenzo Campi (or someone close to him)

Henry's, from Germany, sells on 27 October 2018 a "Dutch, ca. 1670 early Baroque painting" of children feeding a cat, estimated at 450 Euro.

As I have already treated that topic, albeit with better paintings, in some earlier blog posts, I took more interest in this one than the actual quality warranted. And sure enough, a much better version of this composition already appeared in my post of December 2016. It was sold at Gros & Delettrez in 2012 with an estimate of 2,000 Euro, and attributed to a follower of Vincenzo Campi.

The current one is charming, and 450 Euro is not a lot for such a work, but it probably isn't Dutch.

"Flemish master, 17th / 18th century" is copy after Van Dyck

Henry's, from Mutterstadt, Germany, sells on 29 January 2017 a "Flemish Master, 17th or 18th century" Jesus receiving the vinegar sponge at the cross, estimated at 1,600 Euro.

It is a copy (in reverse) after a work by Antoon van Dyck, kept in the Saint Michaels Chruch in Ghent.

As a reverse copy, it is probably based on an engraving (e.g. the one from Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert, as shown here from the British Museum). This is also evidenced by the different colours, like the very pink(!) manes of the horse. The copy isn't very good though, so it will struggle to fetch the estimate.

Family prayer before the meal

Henry's, from Germany, sells on 31 October a "Flemish Master of the 17th century" Family before the evening meal, estomated at 600 to 1,300 Euro.

I seem to remember that it was offered a few months ago with a higher estimate, but didn't sell then. I can't find an artist or direct example for this interesting work, but I have found some similar examples.

The closest is the above Adriaen Van Ostade (image from the Rijksmuseum), a poor family before the meal. The family in the picture for sale seems somewhat better off, but still not an obviously wealthy family. The clothing of the boy in both paintings is similar as well, which probably dates the one for sale to the same period as the Ostade from 1653.

Family portraits were common in 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting (I think this one is more Dutch than Flemish), but usually were either the rich and powerful, or the moralising works by Jan Steen and the like. The circle of Van Ostade and similar artists is about the only one that depicted these more everyday family events, and that makes this, despite the relative lack of artistic value or attribution, an interesting and worthwhile painting. A curio, but a nice enough one.

UPDATE: sold for 750 Euro.

Barthel Bruyn, Annunciation

Henry's Auktionshaus, from Germany, sells on 28 February 2015 what they describe as an Annunciation by Barthel Bruyn the Elder, estimated at least 15,000 Euro. While it is an interesting painting, I don't see a real Bruyn in it, more a "School of", and don't think it is worth the estimate. UPDATE: sold for 18,300 Euro, so the market didn't agree with me...

Compared to a similar Annunciation by Bruyn from the National Museum in Warsaw, the composition is roughly the same, but the execution is significantly different. The Warsaw one is firmly based in older, 15th century Flemish examples. The one for sale is closer to an Antwerp Mannerist painting of some 30 to 50 years later.

One much closer to the one now for sale is kept in the reserves of the Wallraff-Richartz Museum in Cologne, and is described as "School of Bruyn the Elder" there. But even that one is of much higher quality than the one for sale now.

Flemish Master or Il Todeschini?

At Henry's Auktions, 28 February 2015, they sell a "Flemish master, 17th or 18th century", estimated at 2,400 Euro. At first glance, I could understand the attribution, as it vaguely resembles the work of Joachim Beuckelaer and the like, but further research showed that the same picture has been for sale at Hampel's Auktions some years ago as a work attributed to Il Todeschini (Giacomo Francesco Cipper), 1664-1736, an Austrian painter. It was then estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 Euro but as far as I can see failed to sell. UPDATE: sold for 2,928 Euro.

Compared to another Todeschini painting, like the one above that sold for 23,500 Euro in 2007, it looks similar in some aspects (like the right arm), but quite different in coloring and character.

But when looking at one that was sold in 2012, it clearly is very similar (the eyes, the flesh, ...). Still, while the painting for sale is more Todeschini than Flemish, I would call it "school of" or something similar, as it seems to be lacking in details.