"16th century Flemish School" goes back to Robert Campin and is close to Barend van Orley

Horta, from Belgium, sells on 25 February 2019 a "16th century Flemish School" Virgin and Child, estimated at 7,500 to 10,000 Euro. They note that it has an ancient attribution to Lancelot Blondeel.

The image is based on a well-known work by Robert Campin from ca. 1420, one of the most enduring works of the early Flemish Primitive art with at least 60 old copies and variations known. The original is sadly lost, but this version from the Met gives a good idea of what it must have looked like.

The version shown here goes back to Bernard (or Barend) van Orley (1491-1542), for example this version from the Museum of Oldenburg. It has a similar altar with cloth (which functions as a carpet as well) behind Mary, and the architecture with early renaissance elements and two windows is clearly comparable as well.

Still a lot closer is the Madonna Lactans of the Museum of Cadiz, which is also attributed to Bernard van Orley (but doesn't look to be good enough). This one only differs in details (the figures at the top of the colums) and in style of execution; an "attributed to Van Orley" for the work for sale seems reasonable based on this, and the estimate is very reasonable for this work.

UPDATE: sold for 30,000 Euro!

Nice collection at Galerie Moderne (part 3)

Galerie Moderne, from Belgium, sells on 14 November a 2017 a nice collection of mainly 16th-century Flemish paintings.

Lot 206 is a Vision of Saint Jerome, by an "Anonymous, 16th century" artist, estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro. It is a smallish panel of only 38 by 31 cm.

The work is clearly Flemish, but is otherwise quite unusual. It combines the typical elements of a "Vision of Saint Jerome" and a "Penitent Jerome" (saint Jerome beating his chest with a stone in his hands, with the lion nearby), with typical elements from a "Last Judgment" (the top half). I haven't found any other example where these two are brought together.

The image of Christ in the clouds (with one or two raised arms and bare torso), with Mary on the left and John the Baptist on the right, can e.g. be seen in the above examples (details) by Crispijn Van den Broeck and certainly the bottom one, the Last Judgment by Pieter Pourbus, from Bruges, ca. 1550.

I have a feeling that I must know the artist, especially the Saint Jerome seems familiar, but it escapes me. At any rate, the estimate is reasonable or perhaps a bit high from a purely artistic quality point of view, but as an art historical rarity it has some extra value.

UPDATE: sold for 7,000 Euro, mid-estimate.

Lot 209 is an "Anonymous, 16th - 17th century" Virgin and Child in a landscape, estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 Euro.  It is a kind of non-descript Biblical scene, which may be described as a Rest on the Flight to Egypt, or a Maria Lactans, or simply a Virgin and Child of course.

Similar works have been made by many Flemish artists in the 16th and early 17th century, but this one seems to be 16th century. They often feature either a book in the lap of Mary, or a basket with cloth on the ground, or (as here) both. This can e.g. also be seen in works of the Master of the Female Half-Lengths, but the closest comparison bear the works of Barend van Orley; not really one specific painting, but the general style and elements from his works (three examples shown).

The work for sale is probably from around 1550 and should easily fetch the estimate.

UPDATE: sold for 10,000 Euro, double the estimate, worth it!

Tomorrow: more works from the same sale!

"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.

Flemish School, 16th century: link with Bernard van Orley

Lamas Bolano, from Spain, sells on 28 April 2016 a "Flemish School, 16th century" small Maria Lactans (31 by 22 cm) estimated at 12,000 Euro.

The nice work reminds me of a lot of artists of the period, foremost Jan Gossaert but also some others. Looking for comparable works, I cae across another Maria Lactans by Barend (or Bernard) van Orley, from a private collection. The position of the child (legs, hands) is nearly identical; the type of cushion also is very similar. The Van Orley painting is more static, sculpturesque while the one for sale is softer, more pictural.

No idea who painted it, probably not one of the major masters but someone close. The Master of the Holy Blood has some similar works, but like Orley is more sculptural.

The estimate seems about right, but it would be nice to know more about the painter and the origin of the composition.

UPDATE: a reader alerted me to a previous auction of this work: it was sold for 5,000 Euro at Alcala Subastas (also in Spain). It has been restored since then, and looks somewhat too clear now (may simply be due to the photo of course).