"Dutch painting, ca. 1600: November" is a workshop copy of Sebastian Vrancx, Spring or April

Galerie Bassenge, from Germany, sells on 27 May 2016 a "Dutch, ca. 1600" painting of Farmers on the way to the market, estimated at 1,200 Euro.

It is a somewhat weaker (and more damaged) version of a painting by Sebastiaen Vrancx, offered by Galerie Lowet de Wotrenge, an Antwerp art gallery. The work for sale lacks some details, like the axe in the hands of the boy leading the farmer, but is otherwise very close, even down to the colours (which indicates that the work for sale is based on the same painting and not on an engraving or drawing of it). It seems likely that the one for sale is a workshop copy of the one at the Wotrenge gallery.

The work for sale has an indication "November" at the back, indicating that it is one of a series of 12 allegories of the months. However, the Wotrenge gallery makes the case for this being an Allegory of Spring instead, which much better matches the iconography, from the green leaves at the trees to the erection of a maypole in the middle.

It may be part of the same series as the above "Winter" or "January" from the Museum Bredius, which has approximately the same dimensions.

Its value is probably close to 3,000 Euro, as Vrancx is popular at the moment.

"Attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger" is a copy after him

Deutsch, from Austria, sells on 31 May 2016 an "Attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger" Allegory of Flora, estimated at 1,200 to 2,500 Euro.

It is a good, partial copy of a genuine Brueghel, an "Allegory of Spring" from a private collection. But it seems highly unlikely that Brueghel has had a hand in that copy, it lacks his finesse and style.

Still, as a highly attractive painting with a Brueghel composition and colouring, it should easily fetch the upper estimate.

"Dutch School around 1700" seems to be from the School of Mytens

Deutsch, Austrian auction house, sells on 31 May 2016 a "Dutch School, around 1700" portrait of a lady, estimated at 500 to 800 Euro.

It is a nice enough portrait for that price and reminds me of the works of some of the Mytens, especially Jan or Daniel Mytens the Elder (pictured: work by follower of Daniel, and portrait by Jan), and should probably be dated a little bit earlier than 1700.

The painting is far from good enough to be a real Mytens, but should still be worth more than the estimate and fetch at least 1,000 Euro. It could do with some cleaning to bring out the colour again though.

"Dutch Painter, 16th c." seems to be by Vincent Sellaer

Cambi, Italy, sells on 4 May 2016 a "Dutch painter, 16th c." "Female figure with putti", estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro.

It is a better version of a work by Vincent Sellaer (Flemish, not Dutch) sold 10 years ago at Artcurial for nearly 6,000 Euro, and so should be worth more than the estimate (image from artvalue.com). However, the Sellaer market seems to have gone a bit flat lately, with multiple works not selling or selling rather cheap, so perhaps the estimate, despite not recognising the artist, is spot-on anyway. The work for sale is larger than the one sold ten years ago, so if these dimensions are correct, it isn't the same work. Otherwise it has been restored, which was obviously much needed.

UPDATE: not sold, in an auction were the Italian paintings fetched high prices but the others struggled mostly.

"Flemish painter, 17th century" is probably a workshop version by Thomas Willebroirts Bosschaert

Cambi, from Italy, sells on 4 May 2016 a "Flemish painter, 17th century" bacchanale, a very large painting (128 by 214 cmà estimated at 10,000 to 12,000 Euro.

It is a different version of a work by Thomas Willebroirt Bosschaert, nearly equally large but square. That version, which has as a bonus a much better background by Jan Davidsz de Heem, sold for $100,000 at Christie's in 1998.

The version for sale now is very good, but I would guess that it's a workshop version rather than a single-handed Bosschaert work. Looking at it in detail still shows a very attractive work, while most copies of such works fail in that regard.

As such, I would expect it to be worth closer to 20,000 Euro.

UPDATE: while many paintings in this auction seriously surpassed the estimates, this one barely fetched the minimum estimate of 10,000 Euro. It's a strange business.

"Follower of Van Dyck" is copy of Van Dyck's portrait of Jean de Montfort

Deutsch, from Germany, sells on 31 May 2016 a "Follower of Van Dyck" portrait of a man, estimated at 600 to 1,500 Euro (quite a wide range, that).

It is a badly damaged copy of the portrait of Jean de Montfor from the Uffizi. Without the damage, it should be worth a lot more, as it seems to be well painted; but restoring that damage will add some cost to the work of course. Still, at 600 Euro it would be a cheap buy.

"Dutch Master, 17th century" is copy after John Martin (England, 1789-1854)

Dr. Hüll, German auction house with a rather strange name, sells on 12 may 2016 a "Dutch Master, 17th century" Crucifixion, estimated at 1,500 Euro.

Which is one country and two centuries off. The painting is a copy (I suppose) from one of the more famous works by John Martin, an English painter who was very popular in his day. The original is kept at the Yale Center for British Art.

The image at the auction site isn't god enough to judge whether it can be an original by Martin or a copy, but the latter is a lot more likely. The other images, of the remnants of an old label at the back of the painting, show that it had been bought or owned by a Rev. Charles Maltby (?) in 1864, again pointing to an English origin of the work. Whether that label, on a relined work, is original to the painting is impossible to tell.

As an original, it should be worth 15,000 Euro instead of the estimate (although it has had some serious damage, so perhaps that's a tad optimistic). For a copy, the estimate seems about right. For a comparable 17th c. Dutch work, it would have been a bargain.