17th century "Martyrdom of a saint" is related to Simon de Vos and Frans Francken

Carlo Bonte, from Belgium, sells on 13 June 2018 a "17th century, unsigned" Martyrdom of a saint, estimated at 600 to 800 Euro.

This rather lage (55 by 72 cm) oil on copper is probably a depiction of the beheading of Saint Paul, and seems to be the work of Simon de Vos or someone from his circle. His depiction of the same story, now in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, shows many similarities, especially in the way the executioner is shown. The white horse with yellow decoration is also a typical De Vos element.

While the composition reminds me most of Simn de Vos, the style of painting is closer to the Francken family. The above poor picture shows a martyrdom of Saint Catherine which is attributed to Frans Francken II, and where the position of the executioner and the horse are similar to the work for sale (although the genral posture is closer to the Simon de Vos actually, but the clothing is more like the Bonte work).

Even as an anonymous Flemish work, this one should fetch 2,000 to 3,000 Euro.

Nice collection at Galerie Moderne (part 1)

Galerie Moderne, from Belgium, sells on 14 November 2017 an interesting selection of paintings, in a rather old-fashioned way: apart from their regular selection, they sell the "Collection of Tables of Madame D." which is something one often finds in older auction catalogues but seemed to have fallen into disuse recently (usually nowadays either the works are fully anonymous, or the collector is named).

The collection includes some interesting works, and since the auctioneer hasn't done much beyond either copying the label from the frame, or calling it an anonymous work, they provide an excellent opportunity for one or more blog posts.

Lot 201, the most expensive at 12,000 to 15,000 Euro, is "The discovery", described as "anonymous 17th century". This large square (125 by 125 cm) is an attractive work, full of pathos: to me, it looks Italian, and later than 17th century (18th or even 19th century). The "discovery" is perhaps the Egyptian princess finding the infant Moses in a basket, although it is unclear why the painter would then show a squid tentacle instead of the infant. I can not find other examples of the same subject, perhaps it is known as "the story of X" and hard or impossible to find if you don't know that story... No idea who the painter is either, the work is good but not brilliant. Value seems a tad high, 5,000 to 8,000 Euro seems more realistic.

UPDATE: wow, sold for 65,000 Euro instead, I misjudged this badly!

Lot 204 is an "Attributed to Frans Francken", and the frame has a label for "Frans Francken the Elder", estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 Euro.  He lived from 1542 to 1616, but the work seems slightly more modern than that, more Baroque-influenced already. It turns out to be a work by or after Simon De Vos (1603-1676), known from a few other versions.

Christie's sold another version of this Lamentation in 2014 for £26,250. That version is a finished one (of comparable dimensions), while this one is either a copy or a final sketch. I tend to think that it might be the latter, as some aspects are very well done (like the man on the right), while others (like the head of Mary Magdalen) are much more rudimentary, but still giving the impression of haste more than lack of talent. The work is also sufficiently different to support the "sketch" idea.

Some details to give an idea of the quality (top version is Christies, bottom one is work for sale).

This is a very, very pleasing work by a really good painter. It seems underestimated to me, and I would expect it to go closer to 10,000 Euro, but I am perhaps more excited about such a probable oil sketch than many others?

UPDATE: sold for 3,000 Euro, people didn't share my enthusiasm...

"Joyful company. Copper" is a copy after Simon de Vos

Tajan, from France, sells on 27 October 2017 a "Joyful Company. Copper" estimated at 1200 to 1500 Euro.

This small work is a partial copy after Simon de Vos, from the Hermitage. Even taking into consideration the smaller size of the work for sale, it seems to lack the rafinesse of an original De Vos, but it is a fairly well executed copy and a typical burlesque Flemish painting of the period, so should be worth the estimate.

"Follower of Francken" is copy after Simon de Vos

Pastaud, in Limoges, France, sells on 14 May 2017 a "Flemish School, ca. 1630, follower of Frans Francken" "The Meeting of Melchidezek", estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 Euro.

The work is a copy after "The Meeting of David and Abigail" by Simon de Vos, now in the Hermitage. While Francken has also painted this scene, the version for sale has much more elements in common with De Vos, from the white horse with the long manes on the left over the helmet of David to the two camels and the donkey on the right.

De Vos has painted a few versions of this subject, with some variations but with the same basic elements. This one is from the Musée des Augustins, from about 1655.

As a copy after De Vos, the work should be dated closer to the end of the 17th century. The estimate probably stays about the same.

UPDATE: again for sale at same auction house on 28 January 2018 for an estimated 800 to 1,000 Euro, which is a bargain.

How to turn a "Parable of the Wedding Banquet" into a "Wedding at Cana"

Neumeister, from Germany, sells on 6 July 2016 a "Parable of the Wedding banquet" by Simon de Vos and the Francken Workshop, estimated at 8,000 to 10,000 Euro.

Van Ham sold the above "Wedding at Cana" by Francken for 9,500 Euro.

So, what does one have to do? Change Christ to some king, and change the people in the garden to a man being dropped in a well. Add or remove some details at random, and you have a new painting with a new subject!

The one for sale now is in a worse condition than the Van Ham example. It is in parts by a different hand, but it's hard to tell which one is better.

This clearly better version is unlikely to hit the market soon as it is safe in the collection of the Hermitage. it is by Frans Francken II and may be the base composition all these other ones are copied from. The one for sale is one of the more original ones though, the Cana version is much more common than the Parable version.

"17th century Flemish School" is close to Simon de Vos

Sala de Ventas (doesn't that simply mean "Auction Room"?), from Barcelona, sells on 17 December 2015 a "Flemish School, 17th century" Christ carrying the cross, estimated at 1,600 Euro.

The painting copies some elements from known Simon de Vos paintings, and is perhaps a copy after an unknown De Vos or a work from his Workshop. It isn't good enough though to be a real Simon de Vos.

The central Christ figure (top) appears in reverse in another "Christ Carrying the Cross" by De Vos, for sale through the 1stdibs website (bottom).

A few other figures, like the praying woman in blue (left) and the mother with the child on the right also clearly come from the same hand originally. The dog is almost completely identical. Considering that most of these elements are not reversed, I don't think the painting for sale is likely to be based on an engraving.

The bottom central three women, perhaps the best painted part of the painting, is copied straight from another Simon de Vos work, from the Hermitage: The meeting of Esau and Jacob. In this comparison the difference in quality is striking though.

The actual value of the painting depends in part on how close one believes it to be to Simon De Vos. As a copy, the price is about right, perhaps a bit low. If one sees it as a workshop work, that perhaps needs a bit of TLC, then a price closer to 5,000 Euro may be more realistic.

UPDATE: apparently not sold, as it is now again for sale at Bolaño (another Spanish auction house) on 14 March 2016 with an 1,800 Euro estimate. Still no mention of the Simon de Vos link.