Master of the Prodigal Son, of the Parrot, or of the Female Half-lengths?

Rops, from Belgium, sells on 1 April 2019 a "Master of the Prodigal Son" Virgin and Child, estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro.

This work is one of many based on a composition by Pieter Coecke van Aelst, and has been reused mainly by three closely related masters, the Master of the Prodigal Son, the Master of the Female Half-Lengths, and the Master of the Parrot.

A more elaborate and sculptural version by the Master of the Parrot was sold at Lempertz in 2014 for 62,000 Euro.

A variation on this one was sold over the years as either Parrot or Prodigal Son, and fetched in 2010 at Hampel 48,000 Euro, according to the RKD.

Another version by the Parrot master was sold at Christie's in 2005 for £38,000.

According to the RKD, Christie's sold a version by the Master of the Female Half Lengths in 1976. This one seems a lot closer to the work for sale now, especially in the execution of the face of the Virgin.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rijksmuseum

I have not immediately found a version by the Master of the Prodigal Son. In general, his work (like that of the Master of the Parrot) is more sculptural, both in colouring and in the lack of sfumato, while the Master of the Female Half Lengths creates a much softer, smokier effect, with more natural flesh colours.

I would estimate the one for sale at 12,000 Euro.

UPDATE: sold for 15,000 Euro.

"Flemish School": Master of the Prodigal Son?

Nagel, from Germany, sells on 11 October 2017 a "Flemish School, 2nd half 16th century" Return of Tobias, estimated at 2,800 Euro.

Another version of the same work is listed in RKD as by a Follower of the Master of the Prodigal Son, or Circle of Adam van Noort (thus at Christie's in 1998).

Considering that the work for sale is better than the RKD version, I wonder if it can be attributed directly to the Master of the Prodigal Son.

Another version of the story, attributed to this Master, certainly has some similarities. A link with Adam van Noort seems much less likely.

The work has a low estimate and should fetch closer to 5,000 Euro.

UPDATE: For sale at Hampel on 26 september 2018 for a rather whopping 25,000 to 35,000 Euro! Flemish School, 16th or 17 century, circle of Frans Floris or Marten de Vos. While the previous estimate was clearly too low, the new one seems a bit optimistic.

Another copy after the Master of the Prodigal Son lamentation

Vanderkindere sells on 19 April 2016 an "Antwerp School, 16th century" Lamentation, estimated at 1,000 to 1,500 Euro.

It is a more mediocre but considerably cheaper version of the painting I just highlighted a few weeks ago for a sale at Hampel on 7 April 2016. Not worth more than the estimate, but it just amazes me how often such works appear in clusters (perhaps some perception bias at work here).

UPDATE:  sold for 1,900 Euro, a bit more than I expected.

UPDATE 2: again for sale, now at Mercier, France on 16 October 2016 with an estimate of 1,500 to 2,000 Euro. Seems to be cleaned a bit, but remains a mediocre version, so the chance of this exceeding the estimate is small.

UPDATE 3: and now for sale at Rops, Belgium, on 9 April 2017, again for 1,500 to 2,000 Euro. Works like this always make me wary of bidding too enthusiastic on paintings: while they may sometimes yield very nice profits, other times you simply get stuck with them and no one seems to want them even when you sell at a loss. 

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.

School of the Master of the Prodigal Son

Lempertz, from Germany, sells on 23 September 2015 a "South Netherlandic Master, ca. 1520" Adoration of the Magi triptych, estimated at 8,000 to 12,000 Euro.

It is a version of a work by the Master of the Prodigal Son. There should be other copies in Warsaw and Baltimore, but the only one I could find an image of (thanks to the RKD) is this copy (probably cut down as well) from a church in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands.

The one for sale probably isn't an authograph work by the Master of the Prodigal Son, but it is a good painting and a relatively rare example of these 16th century Flemish triptychs, best known from the works of Pieter Coecke van Aalst who made some rather similar works as well. The estimate seems about right, perhaps even a bit low, but more research into the connection with the Master and his possible authorship are needed.

UPDATE: sold for 18,600 Euro, so the estimate was indeed too low.

Master of the Prodigal Son or Michiel Coxie?

At Lemoine, a work attributed to the "Master of the Prodigal Son",  a well-known and productive master from Antwerp from around 1550, at the height of the Antwerp Mannerism. The estimate for this "Annunciation" seems rather high, at 12,000 to 18,000 Euro, but the work is interesting nevertheless. The basic composition, with a red four-poster on the right, Maria reading, a door or window in the centre, and the Angel on the left, can be found many times in many variations, going back to examples by Van der Weyden and Memling.

The painting takes many elements from the "Annunciation" by Joos van Cleve in the collection of the Met Museum, which is vastly superior of course.

The above version was sold at Bonham's in 2011 for 6,400 Euro. It was attributed to the Workshop of Michiel Coxie, and is a less refined version of the one for sale here. Many elements are nearly identical, some (like the Holy Ghost, but also the hands of the Virgin or the window in the back) are quite different though, but despite this it is unmistakeably (inspired by) the same composition.

The work for sale doesn't seem to be good enough to be by the Master of the Prodigal Son though, so the estimate is probably too high. Interesting, quite good, but not good enough.