The Prodigal Son

Horta, from Belgium, sells on 6 September 2021 a "Flemish School, 18th century" "Return of the Prodigal Son", estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 Euro. 

This large work (105 by 167 cm) actually depicts the complete story of the Prodigal Son in multiple scenes (a system much more in use in the 15th and early 16th century, but completely out of fashion in the 17th and 18th century). The work may have been somewhat cut down, especially the right side seems to be incomplete. 

It is dated 1617, and I see no reason to disregard this date (although it could be the date of some original, with this being a later copy). The symbol between the 16 and the 17 may be a monogram, but I'm unable to decipher it. 

And speaking of originals, this work seems to be based on some engravings after David Vinckboons (1576-1631), which again ties in with the date on the painting. 

The story starts bottom left, with the departure of the prodigal son. 

It is unclear what the original may be for this depiction: this 1608 engraving after Vinckboons (found at the Rijksmuseum site) certainly shares some elements (like the flowing cape of the son). 

But other elements like the horse seem to come from a Nicolaes de Bruyn engraving (again via the Rijksmuseum), without an exact date (probably 1600-1630, so within the range of the painting's date). 

The story then jumps to bottom right, with the prodigal son wasting his money on booze and women. This part seems incomplete. 

It again has no clear, one-on-one counterpart in engravings I could find, but the main source of inspiration again seems to be Vinckboons (via the Rijksmuseum). 

A small detail in both works is the inn keeper adding the drinks to the tab (the proverbial "Kerfstok" in Dutch). 

Here as well a Nicolaes de Bruyn engraving may be an alternative source of inspiration (found at the Boijmans Van Beuningen site).

In the third scene (upper left), the son has spent all his money and is chased away by the women at the inn. And this image is taken directly from the same engraving by Vinckboons as in scene 2, with the woman in the window throwing beer (or emptying the chamber pot?) on him. 

The fourth scene depicts the son as a swineherd. 

This one seems based on Vinckboons as well, although the depiction is pretty generic.

And the fifth and final scene is the return home, with the embrace with his father and behind them the slaughter of the fat ox.

And that one as well is close to a Vinckboons I found at the Rijksmuseum site.

Perhaps the painting for sale is based on an unknown Vinckboons painting, or perhaps the artist tried to create a single work incorporating all main aspects of the story from some Vinckboons' prints (and perhaps others). But the result is an intriguing, original work, where I have little reason to doubt the 1617 date. It should very easily surpass the estimate.  

"Follower of David Vinckboons" is based on Pieter Brueghel II

Mercier, from France, sells on 15 April 2018 a "Flemish School, 17th century, follower of David Vinckboons" Hurdy-gurdy player, estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 Euro.

A hefty price tag for a "follower of", but it has a monogram DVB...

More importantly, the work is largely based on a Pieter Brueghel II from the Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands.

The hurdy-gurdy players are similar, but not identical.

Other elements though, like the old woman in the upper left corner, are almost identical. Some aspects are reversed and mixed up a bit.

An identical work, this time attributed directly to Vinckboons, was for sale at Christie's in 2012. It sold for £16,000. The estimate for the current one seems a bit inflated, but Breughelian works remain popular with buyers.

UPDATE: again for sale, now at Dorotheum, on 23 October 2018, estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 Euro. They mention "signed with monogram BVB..." which is strange of course, as it is a DVB (they mention David Vinckboons in the description).

UPDATE 2: sold for 27,500 Euro.

Another version sold at Sotheby's in October 2018 for £81,000. And a better version is for sale at Christie's (lot 24) on 6 December 2018, with an estimate of 290,000 Euro!

Flemish Charity. UPDATE: by follower of David Vinckboons

Millon, France, sells on 17 June 2016 a "Flemish School, ca. 1600" Charity estimated at 1,200 to 1,500 Euro.

It isn't the best-painted work, but I'm always interested in old paintings with text panels on them.

At the top, we see the following:

"Die vader en moeder laet mi (of mt?) verdriet
noot hebben gheen onderstant (?) en brede
maer hener  dominere alzoo men hier ziet
metter tyt sal hemhen(?) alzoo geschieden"

My amateur translation gives:
"The father and mother give me sorrow
they have need; no support or money
but they dominate as one can see here
in due time it will come to pass for them"

Not very clear, so I'm obviously misreading or mistranslating something here! "Noot" may be "Nooit" (never) or "Nood" (need), but that doesn't help a lot. To me, this verse sounds as if the parents don't have a lot, but spend as if they do anyway (e.g. their luxury clothing), which in due time will cost them dearly.

The bottom left says:
"Houders. Wy en moghen voorwaer niet geven
de kinderen costen den tyt is quaet
het doet ghenoech noot eor dat wy leven
en onderhouden oock onsen staet"

"Parents (? or Keepers?) We can not give
The children are costly, the times are bad
It does enough need before we live
and support our state"

Again, not really clear. "Houders" is keepers, "Ouders" is parents, so either this is addressed at the parents or at the officials of some (charitable?) institution. It sounds as if we (?) can't spare anything, as all their money goes to their children and to keep up their state (impoverished nobility?).

Finally, the bottom right (near the elder couple):
"Myn lieve kinderen, laet doch ghenietre (?)
ons houtheyt ors(?) ackhaerme(?) vanigoet(?)
het gene wy.v.ten hawelieke lieten
bezeurt deur ons vleesch en bloet"

"My sweet children, let's enjoy
our old days ? (poor us?) ? ?
whatever we gave you as a marriage gift (dowry)
harmed(?) by our flesh and blood".

The text, in some form of Dutch, seems to indicate that parents should not spend all their money on themselves, and.or the struggle between the generations; the oldest wanting their adult children to take care of them, like they did in the past: the current parents wanting to live their life despite the expensive children; and the children asking theur parents not to spend to much on themselves and to keep something for later. This corresponds with the position of the three texts: the first is about the parents, the second is about the children, and the thirs is about the grandparents.

Like I said, it isn't really clear to me, you'll need a specialist in Dutch 16th century texts to get something better here!

The texts seem to be placed over the painting (especially clear on the right side of the bottom left text): perhaps the text boxes have been enlarged after the painting was finished, or the texts have been added later. It may also be that the texts have been repainted in later times, e.g. "vanigoet" would make more sense as "vantgoet", "of the goods", now it seems to be a non-existant word.

The painting is in the style of the Franckens, but not good enough to be by them. Considering the clothing of the lady, I would date it at about 1620. It can be compared to the above portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger or the 1620 portrait by Jan Ravesteyn. The estimate is probably about right, although works with text usually fetch more money than similar ones without, as they are more interesting.

UPDATE: I found another painting with the same topic, and also with accompanying texts, at the RKD (where else?).  The above high quality image comes from the Rijksmuseum though, where this 1599 painting by Pieter Pietersz is kept. While obviously not by the same artist, it shows the same story, with the poor grandparents and the rich parents.

At the lower left (the poor grandparents side), we can read
"Doet ons bijstant / mijn sone want / Ick hebbe u gegeven / ons goet Contant / In uwer hant / Waer bij zullen wij leven"
"Support us / my son because / I gave you / our belongings cash / in your hand / whereby we would live"

 The upper right (the parents side) states:
"Och vaeder siet / Ick en hebbe niet / op mijnder trouwen / U te geuen ijet / Wat mijn gheschiet / Ick moet staet houwe[n]"
"Oh father look / I don't have / on my wedding day / to give you anything / what happens to me / I have to keep state"

So the same story, the grandparents have given all they had to their children (as dowry), but the children will not support them as they need all the money to keep up their "state", their position in society.

This painting led me to a few other works with the same subject, all Dutch and from ca. 1600-1620. Very close in style to the one for sale is the above, at the RKD described as "After David Vinckboons", and comparing the work for sale with other Vinckboons works clearly shows his influence. The work for sale is a lot simpler than the RKD example (from the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht).

A final example can be found in the British Royal Collections. It is anonymous and rather damaged (with the text becoming illisible). Still, of the four examples of paintings with this subject, it means that three have texts on it.

UPDATE: now for sale at anticstore, estimated at 6,800 Euro.