"Late 17th century French School" looks like a follower of the Master of the Parrot

Conan (the Barbarian?), from France, sells on 14 September 2019 a "French School, late 17th century" triptych of the Holy Family, estimated at 8,000 to 10,000 Euro.

The work has no elements as far as I can see which would date it so late, or which would make it French: it looks to be painted by a follower of the Master of the Parrots (or of the two stylistically closely related other masters, the Master of the Female Half Lengths and the Master of the Prodigal Son).

The origin of the composition seems to be a work by Joos van Cleve (via RKD). The version here is likely a third-hand version, after a work by the Master of the Parrot.

Comparable work by the Master of the Female Half-Lengths

Value of this work should be around 3,000 Euro, not the estimated 8,000. 

UPDATE: the work is on 30 January 2021 again for sale, with Berard et Peron in Lyon. The description is even further off, now it is said to be a Florentine School, 16th century! The estimate of 4,500 to 5,000 Euro is at least more realistic.

Follower of the Master of the Parrot

Kendzia, from Germany, sells on 23 February 2019 a "Flemish Master, 16th century" Death of Lucretia, estimated at 4,000 Euro.

They don't indicate an artist, but refer to two similar works, in Malta and in Burg Gnandstein.

The version from the National Museum of Malta is shown at Europeana. It is nearly identical to the work for sale, but larger.

The version from the Burg Gnandstein castle, shown on museum digital: Deutschland, lacks the background scene, but that page has more interesting information on the artist, said to be the Master of the Parrot; they date it to c. 1520.

Bizarrely, the best version, and probably the original for this composition, is not mentioned on any of these sites: the Master of the Parrot from the Prado. It is very close to the Gnandstein version, but better. It has more subtlety in nearly evey aspect of the work, most visibly in the shadows and in the hair.

The version for sale is clearly inspired by the Malta version or by a common ancestor (it may well be that there existed an original Master of the Parrot version with the background added), but the figure is painted in a different style, not with the almost statuesque paleness of the other three, but with "real" colours (I have inserted the head of the Prado version for comparison). While it isn't good enough to be by the Master, it still is a very fine work, with some damage though, but finely detailed. The estimate seems cautious.

UPDATE: sold for 7,500 Euro.

"Antwerp School" painting is known from one other version described as "Style of Joos van Cleve"

Brussels Art Auctions, from Belgium, sells on 5 June 2018 an "Antwerp School, 16th - 17th century" Virgin and Child, a small panel (25 by 20 cm) estimated at 2,500 to 3,500 Euro.

Another version of the same composition was sold at Sotheby's Amsterdam in 2004 for 21,600 Euro. It had nearly the same dimensions, but was visually more appealing (both better painted and with more, interesting, details). That work was attributed to the Master with the Parrot (active 1500-1530), but the RKD has since reattributed it to "Style of Joos van Cleve" (1485-1540).

The works seem related to the older "Madonna and Child with the Parrot" by Martin Schongauer (copy from the Met shown). But the two paintings probably derive from an unknown or lost work by some Flemish master of the early 16th century (I don't think the better version from the RKD is the original).

Attributing the work for sale to one painter specifically will be hard, it doesn't seem to be good enough to be by some recognised artist, but it still is an old and rather attractive work and should easily fetch the estimate.

"Follower of Master of the Parrot" is copy after Bernard van Orley

Millon, in Paris, sells on 17 June 2016 a "Flemish School, 17th century, follower of the Master of the Madonna with the Parrot" Virgin and Child with Female Donor small oil on panel (31 by 37cm) estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Euro.

It is a reasonably well executed copy (probably 16th century) of a work by Bernard van Orley, "Virgin and Child with Margaret of Austria", which exists both a a diptych and as a single panel, like here (similar version from the RKD archives shown s third image). The work has been copied fairly often. The left half f an original diptych is in the Museum of Ottawa (top image).

The estimate is probably about right, but the inspiration for the work and style could have been described better...

UPDATE: and the description has been updated to a correct one! No idea if they saw my blog post or tweet or found it out independently.

Master of the Parrot? Master of the Prodigal Son is more likely

Hampel sells on 7 April 2016 an "Early Netherlandish Master, 1th or 16th century" Lamentation, estimated at 12,000 to 15,000 Euro. In the description, they indicate that during the search for an artist, they discussed the circle of the Master of the Parrot. Which is an easy way to drop a name without actually attributing it...

I can't see much likeness between this work and the works of the parrot master. His faces and shadow working are completely different.

Other copies of the same work led me to another artist though, the Master of the Prodigal Son. One attributed directly to this artist was for sale at Dorotheum in 2013. While more modern and probably more accomplished, I like it less than the one for sale now. Perhaps I wasn't the only one with that feeling, as it was again offered for sale a year later at Dorotheum with only an 18,000 Euro estimate, and still failed to sell.

According to the RKD, another version, much closer to the one for sale now, was offered at Dorotheum in 2011 as "After the Master of the Prodigal Son". The coloring, face, background all are much more similar to the one for sale now and point to a common origin if not the same hand. I haven't been able to find the price of that work though.

Of the three works shown here, I like the one for sale the most, and it should easily fetch the lower estimate.

UPDATE: not sold

UPDATE 2: again for sale at Hampel with same description and estimate on 30 June 2016.