Influenced by Bosch?

Galerie Moenius, from Switzerland, sells on 18 November 2017 as lot 157 a "Flemish Artist, 16th century" Adoration of the Shepherds, an oil on panel of 56 by 36 cm estimated at 9,000 to 11,000 Swiss Francs. It bears an old label referencing the Master of 1518.

Detail from Adoration by the Master of the Lille Adoration

The work and artist surely must be situated in that period and region, although the extremely elongated neck and posture of the Virgin perhaps even more resemble some works by the Master of the Lille Adoration.

But for some reason, the whole reminds me most of Jeroen Bosch (though lacking his pure quality of course, it is at best a follower of his work). Some details, like the very curious miniature shepherds on the wall, or the man (Joseph?) in the background with a candle on the ground, give me a true Boschian feel.

And the shepherd with the bagpipes on the left is rather similar to the central figure in the Wayfarer. Admittedly, they are rather superficial similarities, not clear derivations, but all in all the work is quite different from many other at first similar Flemish Adorations in ruins from the same period (1510-1530), thanks to the unusual details. Things like disregard for perspective are quite common, but getting a life-size shepherd and two miniature ones next to each other like this is virtually unseen (miniature angels are quite common, but these two clearly aren't any angels).

The only somewhat comparable whole work by Bosch (or rather, known from copies after him) is the above Adoration, with a quite similar Virgin. As usual, I found this through RKD.

The painting will likely remain anonymous, and the estimate seems about right, but it is intriguing nevertheless.

UPDATE: sold for 9,000 Swiss Francs, as expected.

Beautiful underestimated Virgin and Child

Abington, from the United States, sells on 2 November 2017 an "Italian Bolognese Old Master" Virgin and Child, estimated at $2,000 to $3,000.

It is already surpassing the lowest estimate with a current bid of $2,300. And I can easily understand why it attracts such attention. It is a very good painting, clearly done by an accomplished master, and connoisseurs of Italian High renaissance or Early Baroque painting probably have found the probable artist already.

Not being a specialist, I have so far not gotten any further than "style of Federico Barocci" (1535-1612), a major painter from Urbino (not too far from Bologna) who got his education in Rome. But his work is softer, his Virgins younger, and more pinkish, less white.

I also saw some resemblance to the work of Simone Cantarini, but his paintings are sharper, more delineated.

The painting has some strange aspects, as if it is unfinished: the arm of the Virgin beneath the Child is transparent, and the leaf on the apple has the same colour blue as the clothes of the Virgin. But overall this is a very impressive painting which was clearly underestimated, and it is interesting to see whether it will go for $10,000 (the probable value of an anonymous work of this quality) or way beyond that (if people have recognised it as the work of some known master, or perhaps found it in an old auction catalogue).

Interesting drawing

Winterberg, from Germany, sells on 21 October 2017 an "Italian artist, Venetian, ca. 1700" Visitation, a drawing of 39 by 24 cm estimated at 2,400 Euro.

Quite steep for a drawing, but as far as I can tell from the not too big image it looks like this could well be the work of a major artist. The drawing is said to have an annotation "Palma", and Palma Vecchio is an artist who comes to mind when seeing a work like this, as he has made similar frescos, e.g. of the circumcision. But the graceful line of the central figures suggests a later artist.

I have no further information yet on this work, contrary to most of my blog posts, but I thought this work too important to simply ignore it.

"Dutch School" is more likely to be French: wonderful fashion history

Balclis, from Spain, sells on 25 October a "School, probably Dutch, 1700" portrait of a lady and her son, estimated at 5,000 Euro. The surprising small work (41 by 33 cm, it looks life-size in the photo) has a tentiative attribution to Caspar Netscher or Jan Weenix.

In my view, this is a French work. The headdress is a Fontange, the dress is a Mantua, and this combination was for a short period (1690-1710 or thereabouts) extremely popular among the very wealthy French aristocracy, while being virtually absent in other countries.

I have been unable to identify the sitters or the artist, but the work is nevertheless very interesting as a piece of social history, depicting a peculiar but strangely impressive bit of fashion. There are many engravings showing this mode, but relatively few full-length paintings, and then they usually focus solely on the woman.

The painter isn't one of the top portraitists of the time but a good lesser name, someone like Simon Dequoy (1655-1727) who painted this very similar portrait of Anne de Souvré (in the Chateau of Versailles).

Inventing a ca. 1600 Flemish Master based on a Bible verse...

Balclis, from Spain, sells on 25 Ocotber 2015 a "H. Danielsz, active in Flanders ca. 1600" Banquet of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, estimated at 3,000 Euro.

 Frederick van Valckenborch

Caspar van den Hoecke

The composition is well known, but doesn't depict the banquet of Solomon and Sheba, but the Feast of Belshazzar. Similar compositions are known from a number of artists from ca. 1590, including the inevitable Francken family, but also Frederick van Valckenborch and Caspar van der Hoecke.

The RKD also lists an identical composition, sadly by an anonymous artist, from a church in the Dutch town of Valkenburg. It is also dated ca. 1590. Apart from the cloudlike hand in the back (beneath the musicians), and some damage to the bottom left, it is extremely similar to the one for sale (down to the very dimensions: shown here again for easy comparison).

I can't see the RKD version in enough detail, but the one for sale can be zoomed in sufficiently far to find the signature by H. Danielsz. Hurrah, it is always nice to be able to attribute an anonymous painting to a name.

The problem is that no "H. Danielsz" is known in the literature at all. It's an easy mystery to solve though. It is not a signature, but a  Bible verse, Daniel 5.2: "While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them." The cloud hand writing "Mene tekel" on the wall appears in Daniel 5.5.

So, not a signed Solomon banquet by a hitherto unknown Danielsz, but an anonymous depiction of Daniel 5.2, the feast of Belshazzar. Any impact on the value? Probably not, I can't see this going for more than the estimate. But the story behind the attribution was too funny not to spend a blog post on it, and finding a copy in Spain of an anonymous work from the Netherlands is always interesting anyway.

"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.

"Flemish School" is by Hans Rottenhammer

Thiollet, from France, sells on 10 October 2017 a "Flemish School" Dancing putti, a small oil on copper (29 by 36 cm) estimated at 2000 to 3000 Euro.

The work is probably by Hans Rottenhammer, after a Jan Brueghel composition.

The Brueghel is from the Alte Pinakothek, and dates to ca. 1605.

Another versions by Rottenhammer can be found in the Museum of La Valletta, in Malta.

A nearly identical, though perhaps somewhat better painted version was sold at Christie's in 2009 for £31,000, indicating that the one for sale now is probably seriously undervalued and should fetch 10,000 Euro instead, although it needs some cleaning or restoration.(larger image found through RKD).

UPDATE: now for sale at Jean Moust for 7,000€ as by Rottenhammer, seems a very reasonable price.