ART 1550-1600
The Fool Market in Mechelen
2014 SOLD for € 3M including premium
In the mid-sixteenth century Mechelen (Malines) was a prosperous Flemish town halfway between Antwerp and Brussels. The fool market is a large oil on canvas 135 x 188 cm made by an artist from that city.
This painting shows an accumulation of anecdotal and proverbial scenes, often truculent, whose meaning is not fully decoded. Two populations coexist: humans and the fools, very tiny, wearing their pointy hat.
In this market atmosphere, humans are trading the fools who are tightly stored in baskets. Farther in the scenery, many released fools take their preferred position over the heads of the humans to whom they are the spirits. The occupations of these people are unreasonable. For example, the most profligate group, the monk kissing a nun, is accompanied by discrete fools.
Beyond the gnomes of Paracelsus, these characters join the great questioning by Erasmus half a century earlier : Who is the fool, who is the wise?
Mechelen counted at some time over one hundred artists' studios, busy in a fast and inexpensive imaging with a fragile technique that did not survive, watercolor or tempera on canvas. This fool market is instead an oil painting that has certainly been used as a modello for the various workshops of the Verbeeck family. Experts attribute it to Frans Verbeeck the Elder who died in 1570.
This extremely rare painting is estimated € 900K, for sale by Dorotheum in Vienna on October 21, lot 33. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
This painting shows an accumulation of anecdotal and proverbial scenes, often truculent, whose meaning is not fully decoded. Two populations coexist: humans and the fools, very tiny, wearing their pointy hat.
In this market atmosphere, humans are trading the fools who are tightly stored in baskets. Farther in the scenery, many released fools take their preferred position over the heads of the humans to whom they are the spirits. The occupations of these people are unreasonable. For example, the most profligate group, the monk kissing a nun, is accompanied by discrete fools.
Beyond the gnomes of Paracelsus, these characters join the great questioning by Erasmus half a century earlier : Who is the fool, who is the wise?
Mechelen counted at some time over one hundred artists' studios, busy in a fast and inexpensive imaging with a fragile technique that did not survive, watercolor or tempera on canvas. This fool market is instead an oil painting that has certainly been used as a modello for the various workshops of the Verbeeck family. Experts attribute it to Frans Verbeeck the Elder who died in 1570.
This extremely rare painting is estimated € 900K, for sale by Dorotheum in Vienna on October 21, lot 33. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1550s The Smile of the Fool
2019 SOLD for CHF 700K including premium
Not far from Antwerp, Mechelen also had an intense artistic activity but unfortunately it is very little documented. The pictures, unsigned and generally undated, can hardly be attributed to any specific artist. Some of them such as the Master of 1537 are still anonymous. The dominant personality is Frans Verbeeck, received in 1531 in the local painters' guild, who died in 1570.
This group is however important in art history. It ensures a transition between Bosch and Bruegel. The main theme is the illustration of proverbs, often personalized by the fools. The theme of the feast in the village is one of their innovations, preceding Pieter Bruegel.
A mocking of human follies staging a fool market was sold for € 3M including premium by Dorotheum on October 21, 2014. This oil on canvas is remarkable by the abundance of the action and by its large size, 135 x 188 cm.
On September 27 in Zurich, Koller sells a proverb, oil on panel 34 x 25 cm painted in the 1550s in the group of Verbeeck, lot 3012 estimated CHF 500K. This estimated date is confirmed by dendrochronology.
This picture is the half-length portrait of a character wearing the red coat of a jester including a hood with two long dog's ears. The crazy smile is in the style of grotesques and diableries.
The proverb is easily identifiable : "door de vingers zien", I look at the world through my fingers. To avoid confronting reality, the fool has removed his glasses that he holds in one hand, while the long fingers of the other hand are placed on the eyes. He keeps under his forearm a tall stick topped by the figure of a fool, probably a statue-like portrait of himself.
The tweet shows a detail of the image.
This group is however important in art history. It ensures a transition between Bosch and Bruegel. The main theme is the illustration of proverbs, often personalized by the fools. The theme of the feast in the village is one of their innovations, preceding Pieter Bruegel.
A mocking of human follies staging a fool market was sold for € 3M including premium by Dorotheum on October 21, 2014. This oil on canvas is remarkable by the abundance of the action and by its large size, 135 x 188 cm.
On September 27 in Zurich, Koller sells a proverb, oil on panel 34 x 25 cm painted in the 1550s in the group of Verbeeck, lot 3012 estimated CHF 500K. This estimated date is confirmed by dendrochronology.
This picture is the half-length portrait of a character wearing the red coat of a jester including a hood with two long dog's ears. The crazy smile is in the style of grotesques and diableries.
The proverb is easily identifiable : "door de vingers zien", I look at the world through my fingers. To avoid confronting reality, the fool has removed his glasses that he holds in one hand, while the long fingers of the other hand are placed on the eyes. He keeps under his forearm a tall stick topped by the figure of a fool, probably a statue-like portrait of himself.
The tweet shows a detail of the image.
Vernarrt in #Kunst vergangener Epochen? Dann sind die kommenden Auktionen von Koller Auktionen genau das Richtige für euch!
— Barnebys.de (@Barnebysde) September 21, 2019
1552 The Young King
2014 unsold
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The famous Hans Holbein, official painter to the court of Henry VIII, died suddenly in 1543. The painter who succeeded him in 1545 is not well known, let us name him William Scrots which seems to be the best English adaptation of his Flemish name.
Scrots did not sign his works and no output has been found from his earlier career. However when he took his position in England after a mission in Holland, he was expected with such enthusiasm that his salary doubled Holbein's.
In 1547, aged nine, Edward VI succeeded his father on the throne of England. This healthy boy let hope for a good reign, and his father's former advisers were busy undertaking religious reforms.
His minority was expected to last up to the age of 18. From 1552, however, it is wished to promote the image of the young king. Scrots is commissioned for full length front face portraits to be supplied to English ambassadors in foreign courts. It is impossible to determine if these paintings are autograph works by Scrots.
A portrait of Edward VI is estimated $ 400K, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on January 30. Here is the link to the catalog. The dimensions of this oil on panel, 158 x 89 cm, are similar to other known versions, suggesting some standardization in this official work.
Now it is the end. The young king fell ill in January 1553 and died on July 6. The hopes placed in his reign for a religious and political stabilization of England are doomed.
The famous Hans Holbein, official painter to the court of Henry VIII, died suddenly in 1543. The painter who succeeded him in 1545 is not well known, let us name him William Scrots which seems to be the best English adaptation of his Flemish name.
Scrots did not sign his works and no output has been found from his earlier career. However when he took his position in England after a mission in Holland, he was expected with such enthusiasm that his salary doubled Holbein's.
In 1547, aged nine, Edward VI succeeded his father on the throne of England. This healthy boy let hope for a good reign, and his father's former advisers were busy undertaking religious reforms.
His minority was expected to last up to the age of 18. From 1552, however, it is wished to promote the image of the young king. Scrots is commissioned for full length front face portraits to be supplied to English ambassadors in foreign courts. It is impossible to determine if these paintings are autograph works by Scrots.
A portrait of Edward VI is estimated $ 400K, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on January 30. Here is the link to the catalog. The dimensions of this oil on panel, 158 x 89 cm, are similar to other known versions, suggesting some standardization in this official work.
Now it is the end. The young king fell ill in January 1553 and died on July 6. The hopes placed in his reign for a religious and political stabilization of England are doomed.
1553 the Sponsor of the donna nuda
2018 sold for $ 610k including premium
A portrait by Titian of the Duke of Urbino and his young son will be sold by Christie's in New York on April 19, lot 31 estimated $ 700K. I narrated it as follows before it passed at Christie's in London in July 2016 :
Titian, rightly regarded as the best artist of his time, was appreciated by the whole Italian aristocracy and especially by the Dukes of Urbino.
Duke Francesco Maria della Rovere is poisoned in 1538. His son Guidobaldo II is 24 years old. Titian completes his portrait of the late Duke and creates on a commission from his successor the Venere di Urbino, one of the greatest masterpieces of art.
The Venus of Urbino is not a goddess of eroticism but of fertility. A pleasant belief assured that a woman will grow a beautiful child if she sees in the bridal chamber a picture of splendid nudes. This tradition fed the imagery of the Florentine wedding chests of the Renaissance. The new duchess Giulia, aged just 15, is a virgin.
Giulia died in 1547 leaving no male heir to Duke Guidobaldo, who remarried and finally had a son who was to succeed him in 1574. This happy event brings the Duke to desire a new portrait by Titian.
This oil on canvas 198 x 113 cm made in 1553 shows the Duke and his son standing life size next to one another. Titian enters the extreme creative freedom of his later career and deliberately forgets that according to the good tradition full length portraits should be reserved for the sovereigns.
The Duke is an austere bearded man. His four year old son evokes the permanence of the dynasty, raising his head to look to the future and to his father. The vow of the 1538 Donna nuda was met.
Titian, rightly regarded as the best artist of his time, was appreciated by the whole Italian aristocracy and especially by the Dukes of Urbino.
Duke Francesco Maria della Rovere is poisoned in 1538. His son Guidobaldo II is 24 years old. Titian completes his portrait of the late Duke and creates on a commission from his successor the Venere di Urbino, one of the greatest masterpieces of art.
The Venus of Urbino is not a goddess of eroticism but of fertility. A pleasant belief assured that a woman will grow a beautiful child if she sees in the bridal chamber a picture of splendid nudes. This tradition fed the imagery of the Florentine wedding chests of the Renaissance. The new duchess Giulia, aged just 15, is a virgin.
Giulia died in 1547 leaving no male heir to Duke Guidobaldo, who remarried and finally had a son who was to succeed him in 1574. This happy event brings the Duke to desire a new portrait by Titian.
This oil on canvas 198 x 113 cm made in 1553 shows the Duke and his son standing life size next to one another. Titian enters the extreme creative freedom of his later career and deliberately forgets that according to the good tradition full length portraits should be reserved for the sovereigns.
The Duke is an austere bearded man. His four year old son evokes the permanence of the dynasty, raising his head to look to the future and to his father. The vow of the 1538 Donna nuda was met.
1562-1567 Muscle and Ecorché
2015 SOLD for $ 2.05M including premium
Willem van Tetrode, a native from Delft, was for many years a collaborator to Benvenuto Cellini. The importance and originality of his art was recently rediscovered. His period of greatest creativity was in Florence at the court of Cosimo I from 1562 to 1567. He was known in Italy as Guglielmo Flammingo.
While Cellini promotes an uncompromising modernism, van Tetrode is familiar with antique statues which he frequently works to restore.
His time marks a new curiosity about the mechanisms of the human body. Leonardo's studies had opened this path in art, in a search for more realistic attitudes. Vesalius, the founder of scientific anatomy, and Giambologna, the sculptor of the human body in motion, were also among the protégés of Cosimo I.
Sculptures by van Tetrode display an extreme tension of male bodies in various attitudes that exacerbate muscles, under or without skin. His influence will be considerable, particularly on de Vries and Goltzius.
On January 27 in New York, Christie's sells two bronzes by Willem van Tetrode estimated $ 1.5 million each.
At Lot 52, Hercules with his club symbolizes the heroic strength, very steady on his long legs, with a serene face. This bronze is 39 cm high.
At Lot 71, an écorché (skinned) man is in a dance position at the extreme limits of balance. This bronze is 44 cm high.
RESULTS :
Hercules : 2.05M including premium.
Ecorché man : unsold.
While Cellini promotes an uncompromising modernism, van Tetrode is familiar with antique statues which he frequently works to restore.
His time marks a new curiosity about the mechanisms of the human body. Leonardo's studies had opened this path in art, in a search for more realistic attitudes. Vesalius, the founder of scientific anatomy, and Giambologna, the sculptor of the human body in motion, were also among the protégés of Cosimo I.
Sculptures by van Tetrode display an extreme tension of male bodies in various attitudes that exacerbate muscles, under or without skin. His influence will be considerable, particularly on de Vries and Goltzius.
On January 27 in New York, Christie's sells two bronzes by Willem van Tetrode estimated $ 1.5 million each.
At Lot 52, Hercules with his club symbolizes the heroic strength, very steady on his long legs, with a serene face. This bronze is 39 cm high.
At Lot 71, an écorché (skinned) man is in a dance position at the extreme limits of balance. This bronze is 44 cm high.
RESULTS :
Hercules : 2.05M including premium.
Ecorché man : unsold.
Bronze of Hercules Pomarius by Danielsz.van Tetrode, $2,045,000. http://t.co/9EhmXLMWQp #antiques #sculpture pic.twitter.com/D6xDdxb24U
— Maine Antique Digest (@AntiqueDigest) April 25, 2015
1565 Martyred Virgin and Horrible Beast
2018 SOLD for $ 2.17M including premium
St. Margaret of Antioch is a symbol of the resistance through the Christian faith to all the horrors of the world. Even the most credulous hagiographers very early recognized that her story was apocryphal. Her victory over Satan disguised as a dragon puts this martyred virgin in a situation similar to the temptations of St. Anthony.
In the most extreme versions of her legend, the young woman comes out unscathed from each trial, leading to her final martyrdom. Swallowed in her whole by the dragon, she is rejected when her crucifix irritates the digestive system of the monster. The rich patrons of the later Renaissance appreciate such an allegory of irreproachable virtue.
Raphael executed around 1518 two paintings on this theme. The version of the Vienna Museum is the most dramatic. The body of the foul beast encircles the young woman who remains standing with a great calm brought by her confidence in her crucifix. In the Louvre version, Margaret moves away from the beast.
Towards the end of his career, Titian conceived an even more dramatic composition. The position of the girl is similar to that of Vienna's Raphael but she is frightened. The beast is under her bare foot in the foreground in a mixture of dark tones that increases the horror by voluntarily reducing the readability.
The standing Margaret looks down at her enemy. She turns her back on another apocalyptic danger, the fire of Venice far away. This heterogeneous scene becomes more logical if it appears as a cluster of threats around the heroic Christian and not as a victory. Clothes and hair are impeccable, which does not match with a regurgitation, even miraculous.
Two almost identical versions are known of Titian's St. Margaret. One of them, in the Prado, is dated circa 1559.
The other version, oil on canvas 198 x 168 cm after a reduction of height in the mid-20th century, had belonged to the collection of King Charles I. It is signed by Titian near a vanity but was probably realized in major part by his workshop, perhaps simultaneously with the autograph version. The quality of the light of the Venice fire makes propose for its completion a later date, around 1565.
This painting is estimated $ 2M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on February 1, lot 27. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
In the most extreme versions of her legend, the young woman comes out unscathed from each trial, leading to her final martyrdom. Swallowed in her whole by the dragon, she is rejected when her crucifix irritates the digestive system of the monster. The rich patrons of the later Renaissance appreciate such an allegory of irreproachable virtue.
Raphael executed around 1518 two paintings on this theme. The version of the Vienna Museum is the most dramatic. The body of the foul beast encircles the young woman who remains standing with a great calm brought by her confidence in her crucifix. In the Louvre version, Margaret moves away from the beast.
Towards the end of his career, Titian conceived an even more dramatic composition. The position of the girl is similar to that of Vienna's Raphael but she is frightened. The beast is under her bare foot in the foreground in a mixture of dark tones that increases the horror by voluntarily reducing the readability.
The standing Margaret looks down at her enemy. She turns her back on another apocalyptic danger, the fire of Venice far away. This heterogeneous scene becomes more logical if it appears as a cluster of threats around the heroic Christian and not as a victory. Clothes and hair are impeccable, which does not match with a regurgitation, even miraculous.
Two almost identical versions are known of Titian's St. Margaret. One of them, in the Prado, is dated circa 1559.
The other version, oil on canvas 198 x 168 cm after a reduction of height in the mid-20th century, had belonged to the collection of King Charles I. It is signed by Titian near a vanity but was probably realized in major part by his workshop, perhaps simultaneously with the autograph version. The quality of the light of the Venice fire makes propose for its completion a later date, around 1565.
This painting is estimated $ 2M for sale by Sotheby's in New York on February 1, lot 27. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This Titian belonged to King Charles I https://t.co/zYqIxDo4dx #Titian #OldMasters pic.twitter.com/WEZCRrBnsh
— Paul Fraser (@PFCollectibles) January 9, 2018
after 1565 Penitent Magdalene by Titian
2008 SOLD for $ 4.5M by Sotheby's
Titian painted his first Penitent Magdalene ca 1531 on a commission from the Duke of Urbino. The theme is exemplary : a young woman who suddenly and definitively passes from vice to virtue through Christian enlightenment.
Magdalene is a robust woman, who instinctively hides her nudity by wrapping her hair around her neck. The first picture is sensual, as if the artist wanted her change of life to cause pity.
She is modeled from a Venus Pudica with her prayerful upward hair and the long hair that wraps the shoulders.
Titian will rework this theme regularly, making small improvements in the symbols and in the surrounding landscape.
An oil on panel 110 x 78 cm appears as a synthesis of these variants, with all the pictorial qualities of the later phase of the artist's career. It may be later than the 1565 version kept at the Hermitage Museum.
The gestures have not changed but the saint has dressed : the nudity of her breasts no longer tickles the old artist. The half-open mouth more explicitly marks an ecstasy, reinforced by the dripping tears. The landscape has become very dark but the light in the sky is mystical.
The wood panel is rarely used by Titian in that period. It is perhaps a reminiscence of the technique of his original Urbino Magdalene, thirty years earlier.
This painting was sold for $ 4.5M including premium by Sotheby's on January 25, 2008, lot 117.
Magdalene is a robust woman, who instinctively hides her nudity by wrapping her hair around her neck. The first picture is sensual, as if the artist wanted her change of life to cause pity.
She is modeled from a Venus Pudica with her prayerful upward hair and the long hair that wraps the shoulders.
Titian will rework this theme regularly, making small improvements in the symbols and in the surrounding landscape.
An oil on panel 110 x 78 cm appears as a synthesis of these variants, with all the pictorial qualities of the later phase of the artist's career. It may be later than the 1565 version kept at the Hermitage Museum.
The gestures have not changed but the saint has dressed : the nudity of her breasts no longer tickles the old artist. The half-open mouth more explicitly marks an ecstasy, reinforced by the dripping tears. The landscape has become very dark but the light in the sky is mystical.
The wood panel is rarely used by Titian in that period. It is perhaps a reminiscence of the technique of his original Urbino Magdalene, thirty years earlier.
This painting was sold for $ 4.5M including premium by Sotheby's on January 25, 2008, lot 117.
1565-1570 Art and Manner for Annuncing
2013 unsold
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Mannerism emerged from realism to better express the attitudes. In Florence, the court portraits and religious scenesby il Bronzino had a considerable success.
On September 19 in Munich, Hampel sells an Annunciation by Bronzino, large oil on wood 120 x 130 cm estimated €1M.
The scene is set with a restrained emotion. The Angel communicates his message, and Mary is shy and quiet. The distance between the two young people shows that no passion is needed in this mystical discussion.
Renowned for his performing speed, Bronzino achieves here a beautiful double portrait in an almost squarecomposition of perfect balance. The wing of the Angel and the book of Mary are discretely pushed to the edges of the image while the central focal point is the stem of lilies held by the Angel to get the confidence of the Virgin.
Curiously, this very kind theme is not common in the usually worldly art of Bronzino. Dated between 1565 and 1570,this painting is later than the masterpieces of the artist.
Mannerism emerged from realism to better express the attitudes. In Florence, the court portraits and religious scenesby il Bronzino had a considerable success.
On September 19 in Munich, Hampel sells an Annunciation by Bronzino, large oil on wood 120 x 130 cm estimated €1M.
The scene is set with a restrained emotion. The Angel communicates his message, and Mary is shy and quiet. The distance between the two young people shows that no passion is needed in this mystical discussion.
Renowned for his performing speed, Bronzino achieves here a beautiful double portrait in an almost squarecomposition of perfect balance. The wing of the Angel and the book of Mary are discretely pushed to the edges of the image while the central focal point is the stem of lilies held by the Angel to get the confidence of the Virgin.
Curiously, this very kind theme is not common in the usually worldly art of Bronzino. Dated between 1565 and 1570,this painting is later than the masterpieces of the artist.
1566 A 16th Century Garden Party
2009 unsold
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
On October 14 in New York, Christie's is emptying the residence of a connoisseur of archaeology, ancient art and top furnishings. The collector's taste was impeccable, which is always a guarantee of success for such a sale.
Indeed, it is not a problem that the painting which until very recently hung above the fireplace in the lounge is not signed by a great master but only monogrammed OM, an artist who has not been identified.
This large oil on canvas, 171 x 236 cm, is representing a party in the gardens of an Italian-style villa. Scores of dancers are acting there. At the center is a pyramid of ten acrobats on four levels. Gentlefolks are watching the scenes from the balconies and galleries of the villa.
This scene is busy as in Flemish style. The painting is dated 1566. The auction house did not dare saying that the artist is a contemporary of Pieter Brueghel the Elder. The lot is estimated 600 K$.
I invite you to see it by following this link shared by AuctionPublicity.com.
On October 14 in New York, Christie's is emptying the residence of a connoisseur of archaeology, ancient art and top furnishings. The collector's taste was impeccable, which is always a guarantee of success for such a sale.
Indeed, it is not a problem that the painting which until very recently hung above the fireplace in the lounge is not signed by a great master but only monogrammed OM, an artist who has not been identified.
This large oil on canvas, 171 x 236 cm, is representing a party in the gardens of an Italian-style villa. Scores of dancers are acting there. At the center is a pyramid of ten acrobats on four levels. Gentlefolks are watching the scenes from the balconies and galleries of the villa.
This scene is busy as in Flemish style. The painting is dated 1566. The auction house did not dare saying that the artist is a contemporary of Pieter Brueghel the Elder. The lot is estimated 600 K$.
I invite you to see it by following this link shared by AuctionPublicity.com.
1568 THE REAL VIEW OF TUDOR CASTLE
2010 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
What were the monuments of ancient times looking like? The mood of preservation of old buildings was almost nonexistent before the nineteenth century. The tourism trips of English watercolorists and the bulimia of knowledge of the encyclopedists do not go much earlier.
Fortunately, there were already inquiring minds, including Joris Hoefnagel. This artist was interested in everything, contributed to Braun's Civitates orbis terrarum, and had access to the famous cabinet of curiosities of Rudolf II.
In 1536, six years before the birth of Hoefnagel, Henry VIII of England decided that he needed a palace whose luxury exceeds that of its rivals, including the Chambord of François I. Construction began not far from London, in Surrey, and the new castle was given the immensely proud name of Nonsuch Palace.
When the king died in 1547, Nonsuch was not finished. It fell into disrepair in the 1680s. Its dismantled elements were used to repay the gambling debts of a favorite of Charles II.
We only know two drawings from the sixteenth century showing the real view of Nonsuch, and both are watercolors by Hoefnagel.
The earliest of these watercolors, 22 x 33 cm, dated 1568, is for sale by Christie's in London on December 7. This lot is estimated £ 800K. The atypical pieces are sometimes hard to sell, I hope that it will not be the case for this masterpiece which is also one of the most ancient watercolors made in England.
This event pushed its picture into the Wikipedia, through Artdaily :
What were the monuments of ancient times looking like? The mood of preservation of old buildings was almost nonexistent before the nineteenth century. The tourism trips of English watercolorists and the bulimia of knowledge of the encyclopedists do not go much earlier.
Fortunately, there were already inquiring minds, including Joris Hoefnagel. This artist was interested in everything, contributed to Braun's Civitates orbis terrarum, and had access to the famous cabinet of curiosities of Rudolf II.
In 1536, six years before the birth of Hoefnagel, Henry VIII of England decided that he needed a palace whose luxury exceeds that of its rivals, including the Chambord of François I. Construction began not far from London, in Surrey, and the new castle was given the immensely proud name of Nonsuch Palace.
When the king died in 1547, Nonsuch was not finished. It fell into disrepair in the 1680s. Its dismantled elements were used to repay the gambling debts of a favorite of Charles II.
We only know two drawings from the sixteenth century showing the real view of Nonsuch, and both are watercolors by Hoefnagel.
The earliest of these watercolors, 22 x 33 cm, dated 1568, is for sale by Christie's in London on December 7. This lot is estimated £ 800K. The atypical pieces are sometimes hard to sell, I hope that it will not be the case for this masterpiece which is also one of the most ancient watercolors made in England.
This event pushed its picture into the Wikipedia, through Artdaily :
This earliest depiction of Henry VIII’s famed lost Palace of Nonsuch has been saved for the nation by @V_and_A: https://t.co/aOIsjdtOxE pic.twitter.com/0fTWl8luJq
— AntiquesTradeGazette (@ATG_Editorial) December 9, 2016
1570 After the Flood
2011 SOLD 1.1 M€ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
An oil on panel, 114 x 142 cm, dated 1570 and signed, is for sale on June 23 by Sotheby's in Paris.
Noah's Ark has completed its journey by arriving onto the Mount Ararat, and animals walk down the long walkway to reach the mainland.
We do not know how many fantastic animals still existed at the time of that episode of Genesis: unicorns and griffinsare displayed alongside the more common species. The struggle for life already takes its rights again: the lion kills the horse and the cat eats a fish.
These multiple scenes show humor and vitality worthy of the elder Bruegel. The ark is a house mounted on a hugeboat that could participate in the fleet of Philip II. The stylized landscape background recalls the art of Patinier.
The painting is inscribed "Simone de Myle inventor and fecit." It is the only known work of this Simon de Myle, who was probably a Dutch painter.
"Inventor" certainly means that he claims the design of this composition. The landing after the flood is exceptional in the history of art. The entry of animals into the ark is much more common, but also less funny as it was more difficult to imagine truculent scenes at this point. It is not clear why this image did not win its deserved popularity.
The auction house announced an estimate between € 300K and 400K.
POST SALE COMMENT
The interest is confirmed by a very good result: € 1.1 million including premium.
The lack of information about the artist has certainly prevented it to go to higher prices.
An oil on panel, 114 x 142 cm, dated 1570 and signed, is for sale on June 23 by Sotheby's in Paris.
Noah's Ark has completed its journey by arriving onto the Mount Ararat, and animals walk down the long walkway to reach the mainland.
We do not know how many fantastic animals still existed at the time of that episode of Genesis: unicorns and griffinsare displayed alongside the more common species. The struggle for life already takes its rights again: the lion kills the horse and the cat eats a fish.
These multiple scenes show humor and vitality worthy of the elder Bruegel. The ark is a house mounted on a hugeboat that could participate in the fleet of Philip II. The stylized landscape background recalls the art of Patinier.
The painting is inscribed "Simone de Myle inventor and fecit." It is the only known work of this Simon de Myle, who was probably a Dutch painter.
"Inventor" certainly means that he claims the design of this composition. The landing after the flood is exceptional in the history of art. The entry of animals into the ark is much more common, but also less funny as it was more difficult to imagine truculent scenes at this point. It is not clear why this image did not win its deserved popularity.
The auction house announced an estimate between € 300K and 400K.
POST SALE COMMENT
The interest is confirmed by a very good result: € 1.1 million including premium.
The lack of information about the artist has certainly prevented it to go to higher prices.
1570 Titian's Creative Old Age
2009 unsold
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
In 1570, Tiziano (Titian) is in his eighties. Since the death of Bellini half a century earlier, he is the undisputed master of Venetian painting. A favorite of doges, emperors and kings, he was their prolific portraitist, as well as the greatest painter of his time for mythological, religious or intimate scenes.
His creativity is still alive, but he has nothing more to prove for increasing his glory. Painter of sensuality and characters, he then became the painter of passion. He opens the way to the great artists of the following century: Hals, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Van Dyck.
On 24 January 2008, Sotheby's sold in New York for $ 4.5 million charge included a penitent Magdalene. This is a young woman of the artist's time, her wet eyes lifted skyward, completely taken by her passion, offering an undeniable presence. Another variant of the same portrait was sold 2,85 M€ by Finarte in Venice in 2003 (source: Artvalue).
On January 29, it is now Salome who is coming to Sotheby's in New York. From the same period as the Magdalene, she has similar characteristics, but the attitude is still more dramatic. The contrast is striking between the clarity on the person of the young woman and the dark foreground with the head of the Baptist.
The passion of this woman is the true subject of this painting. She is bearing at arm's length the disgusting dish and she turns the head, but she also looks back at an angle to the object of her glory.
At the time of Charles I, this painting is in the royal British collections. The link is known: van Dyck was a fervent admirer of Titian. Having restored it led to finding the mark of the royal collection, and it was recognized as an indisputable autograph work of Titian. It expects $ 4 million.
In 1570, Tiziano (Titian) is in his eighties. Since the death of Bellini half a century earlier, he is the undisputed master of Venetian painting. A favorite of doges, emperors and kings, he was their prolific portraitist, as well as the greatest painter of his time for mythological, religious or intimate scenes.
His creativity is still alive, but he has nothing more to prove for increasing his glory. Painter of sensuality and characters, he then became the painter of passion. He opens the way to the great artists of the following century: Hals, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Van Dyck.
On 24 January 2008, Sotheby's sold in New York for $ 4.5 million charge included a penitent Magdalene. This is a young woman of the artist's time, her wet eyes lifted skyward, completely taken by her passion, offering an undeniable presence. Another variant of the same portrait was sold 2,85 M€ by Finarte in Venice in 2003 (source: Artvalue).
On January 29, it is now Salome who is coming to Sotheby's in New York. From the same period as the Magdalene, she has similar characteristics, but the attitude is still more dramatic. The contrast is striking between the clarity on the person of the young woman and the dark foreground with the head of the Baptist.
The passion of this woman is the true subject of this painting. She is bearing at arm's length the disgusting dish and she turns the head, but she also looks back at an angle to the object of her glory.
At the time of Charles I, this painting is in the royal British collections. The link is known: van Dyck was a fervent admirer of Titian. Having restored it led to finding the mark of the royal collection, and it was recognized as an indisputable autograph work of Titian. It expects $ 4 million.
1577-1579 el greco in the counter reformation
2017 unsold
El Greco arrives in Venice around 1567. He is ambitious and his artistic ideas are his own. He settles in Rome in 1570 and creates a scandal by proposing to the Pope the repainting of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. He has more enemies than friends and needs patrons. He tries his luck in 1577 in Spain at the court of Philip II.
His first major commission was however not for Madrid but for Toledo where humanistic clients entrusted him with the decoration of the church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. He made nine paintings for that church between July 1577 and September 1579.
Born in Crete, El Greco is probably of Greek Orthodox religion. His art is nevertheless acclaimed by the Catholics of Toledo who appear to be remarkably tolerant despite the prescriptions of the Council of Trent for a strict interpretation of the Scriptures.
The major work of this Spanish debut is El Espolio, an oil on canvas 285 x 173 cm made for the sacristy of the cathedral of Toledo. In the midst of a dense crowd, Christ is stripped of his cloak. The presence in the foreground of the Three Maries, invented by the artist, nevertheless creates a small scandal.
On July 6 in London, Christie's sells an oil on canvas 64 x 93 cm painted by El Greco at the same time on the theme of the farewell of Christ to the Virgin. Christ is pointing his finger to show the way to Jerusalem. This scene missing in the Bible was considered a necessary episode by some monks of the Middle Ages wanting to complete the biography of Christ. It is estimated £ 4M, lot 34.
The two figures are seen half-length in a horizontal composition that was bold for its time. They do not need to look at each other to express an intense emotion : Christ thinks about his Mission and Mary knows that no argument will prevent his leave. The realism of the faces and the beauty of the colors mark an influence from Titian. The star shaped halo is bright.
In Madrid the respect of the dogma continues to prevail over the artistic quality. El Greco did not succeed in working for the king. The Reformation was probably considered less threatening in Toledo than in Madrid. Constrained to a provincial career, he now settles permanently in Toledo. There is no real evidence of a conversion of El Greco to Catholicism.
His first major commission was however not for Madrid but for Toledo where humanistic clients entrusted him with the decoration of the church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. He made nine paintings for that church between July 1577 and September 1579.
Born in Crete, El Greco is probably of Greek Orthodox religion. His art is nevertheless acclaimed by the Catholics of Toledo who appear to be remarkably tolerant despite the prescriptions of the Council of Trent for a strict interpretation of the Scriptures.
The major work of this Spanish debut is El Espolio, an oil on canvas 285 x 173 cm made for the sacristy of the cathedral of Toledo. In the midst of a dense crowd, Christ is stripped of his cloak. The presence in the foreground of the Three Maries, invented by the artist, nevertheless creates a small scandal.
On July 6 in London, Christie's sells an oil on canvas 64 x 93 cm painted by El Greco at the same time on the theme of the farewell of Christ to the Virgin. Christ is pointing his finger to show the way to Jerusalem. This scene missing in the Bible was considered a necessary episode by some monks of the Middle Ages wanting to complete the biography of Christ. It is estimated £ 4M, lot 34.
The two figures are seen half-length in a horizontal composition that was bold for its time. They do not need to look at each other to express an intense emotion : Christ thinks about his Mission and Mary knows that no argument will prevent his leave. The realism of the faces and the beauty of the colors mark an influence from Titian. The star shaped halo is bright.
In Madrid the respect of the dogma continues to prevail over the artistic quality. El Greco did not succeed in working for the king. The Reformation was probably considered less threatening in Toledo than in Madrid. Constrained to a provincial career, he now settles permanently in Toledo. There is no real evidence of a conversion of El Greco to Catholicism.
#ClassicWeek opens to the public tomorrow! Come and see the very best in classical works of art #ElGreco #OldMasters https://t.co/44oJK5npVq pic.twitter.com/Vr7g3NfnBY
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) June 30, 2017
1580 Battle by Tintoretto
2016 SOLD for € 910K including premium
The naval battle of Lepanto fought in 1571 was a decisive victory of the Christian Holy Ligue over the Turks during a series of military campaigns by the Venetians. A tender was launched for an immense painting commemorating the event in the Palazzo Ducale.
Il Tintoretto, sometimes nicknamed Il Furioso, is known for his speed of decision and execution. He gets this contract and performs the painting within one year. An oil on canvas 180 x 320 cm sold for € 315K including premium by Sotheby's on September 20, 2016 has the characteristics of a modello made by Tintoretto in the preparation of this work that was to be lost in the fire of the Palace in 1577.
Tintoretto was primarily an artist of religious themes but knew to convince customers of the global extent of his know how. From 1578 to 1580 he made eight large paintings in praise of the Gonzaga for their ducal palace in Mantua. The animation of the battles is hectic, in a Mannerist style. Details of the action prevail over the consistency of the whole.
On October 18, 2016, Dorotheum sold a Battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, oil on canvas 146 x 231 cm recently discovered. The overall design is comparable to the works of the Gonzaga series. X ray and infrared analyses show that this piece is an original with major changes realized to change the theme.
The scenes are violent, from brawl to escape. A few elephants in the background provide the Orientalist mood. The main action is decidedly on the extreme right of the picture like the conclusion of a modern comic strip : the young David pierces with his spear the giant Goliath lying on the ground.
This painting was sold for € 910K from a lower estimate € 300K, lot 26. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Now attributed to Tintoretto and studio, it passed at Christie's on June 9, 2022, lot 42.
Il Tintoretto, sometimes nicknamed Il Furioso, is known for his speed of decision and execution. He gets this contract and performs the painting within one year. An oil on canvas 180 x 320 cm sold for € 315K including premium by Sotheby's on September 20, 2016 has the characteristics of a modello made by Tintoretto in the preparation of this work that was to be lost in the fire of the Palace in 1577.
Tintoretto was primarily an artist of religious themes but knew to convince customers of the global extent of his know how. From 1578 to 1580 he made eight large paintings in praise of the Gonzaga for their ducal palace in Mantua. The animation of the battles is hectic, in a Mannerist style. Details of the action prevail over the consistency of the whole.
On October 18, 2016, Dorotheum sold a Battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, oil on canvas 146 x 231 cm recently discovered. The overall design is comparable to the works of the Gonzaga series. X ray and infrared analyses show that this piece is an original with major changes realized to change the theme.
The scenes are violent, from brawl to escape. A few elephants in the background provide the Orientalist mood. The main action is decidedly on the extreme right of the picture like the conclusion of a modern comic strip : the young David pierces with his spear the giant Goliath lying on the ground.
This painting was sold for € 910K from a lower estimate € 300K, lot 26. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Now attributed to Tintoretto and studio, it passed at Christie's on June 9, 2022, lot 42.
1582 the renaissance of the hare
2015 unsold
Albrecht Dürer was a great picture maker. The interest for his work is experiencing a revival in the age of the cabinets of curiosity.
Hans Hoffmann is living in Nuremberg, where Dürer had made most of his career. The Hare by Dürer had remained in the city, in the collection of a rich citizen.
This drawing is a highly important example in art history of the capability for an artist to achieve a perfect realism. Dürer showed the hare against a plain background. Hoffmann puts it up to date to his own time by surrounding it with a profusion of plants and animals that appeal to the desire for knowledge of his patrons.
Hares by Hoffmann are not simple copies of Dürer's model. Although the general attitude is similar, the angle varies along with the attention given by the animal to its surrounding and even its age identifiable by the length of its ears.
On December 8 in London, Christie's sells a young hare in the field by Hoffmann, lot 15 estimated £ 4M. This watercolor, gouache and gum arabic on vellum 62 x 59 cm was realized in 1582 during the period when the artist was in Nuremberg. He will continue his career briefly in Munich and, from 1585, in Prague at the court of Rudolf II.
Hoffmann does not hide the influence of Dürer on his art. Dürer had put a reflection in one eye of his hare. The sharpest reflection inserted by Hoffmann in both eyes is a direct tribute to his great predecessor.
The biological diversity meets a goal of describing life that was not in the moods at the time of Dürer and reminds that Hoffmann was a contemporary of Hoefnagel and Arcimboldo. No less than 17 plants and 14 animals are included in his picture of the hare in the field.
The image below is slightly truncated.
Hans Hoffmann is living in Nuremberg, where Dürer had made most of his career. The Hare by Dürer had remained in the city, in the collection of a rich citizen.
This drawing is a highly important example in art history of the capability for an artist to achieve a perfect realism. Dürer showed the hare against a plain background. Hoffmann puts it up to date to his own time by surrounding it with a profusion of plants and animals that appeal to the desire for knowledge of his patrons.
Hares by Hoffmann are not simple copies of Dürer's model. Although the general attitude is similar, the angle varies along with the attention given by the animal to its surrounding and even its age identifiable by the length of its ears.
On December 8 in London, Christie's sells a young hare in the field by Hoffmann, lot 15 estimated £ 4M. This watercolor, gouache and gum arabic on vellum 62 x 59 cm was realized in 1582 during the period when the artist was in Nuremberg. He will continue his career briefly in Munich and, from 1585, in Prague at the court of Rudolf II.
Hoffmann does not hide the influence of Dürer on his art. Dürer had put a reflection in one eye of his hare. The sharpest reflection inserted by Hoffmann in both eyes is a direct tribute to his great predecessor.
The biological diversity meets a goal of describing life that was not in the moods at the time of Dürer and reminds that Hoffmann was a contemporary of Hoefnagel and Arcimboldo. No less than 17 plants and 14 animals are included in his picture of the hare in the field.
The image below is slightly truncated.
Décryptage de l’œuvre de Hans #Hoffmann par Benjamin Peronnet, expert en dessins anciens https://t.co/zVdNiDESa5 pic.twitter.com/M0emlD5iVA
— Christie's Paris (@christiesparis) November 28, 20151587 Friendship between Florence and Dresden
2018 withdrawn
Europe is not new. Florence and Dresden both belong to the Holy Roman Empire. The Elector of Saxony would like to have Italian donkeys in his stables. The cooperation established between the two cities from 1572 is the equivalent of a modern twinning. Florence is the capital of the arts, including magnificent monuments and sculptures. Since 1577 Dresden has the ambition to be recognized as the Florence of the Elbe.
The Elector August of Saxony dies in 1586. Florence prepares diplomatic gifts for his successor the Elector Christian. Presents include horses and bronzes.
The Grand Duke Francesco is a great fan of the Mannerist style. Since 1583 the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne) has been installed in the Loggia dei Lanzi which was and has remained the most sensational permanent exhibition in the world for monumental sculptures.
The Grand Duke's gift includes three bronzes by Giambologna, probably chosen from the ducal collection. Giambologna is at the height of his glory to the point that the Grand Duke refuses him to leave Florence. He will not go to Dresden but adds a bronzetto as a personal gift. The elector thanks him with a gold chain. The four bronzes appear as early as 1587 in the inventory of the electoral Kunstkammer.
For this operation Giambologna chose the God Mars. The model was previously created by other artists. The style is decidedly mannerist, contrasting the great authority of the god of war with his muscular nudity. No symbolic props are needed to identify the god. This theme is not related to the personality of the new elector who had no military ambitions.
The process needed to make a bronze was long but Giambologna probably created this Mars specifically for this project. His superiority over his competitors lies in the quality of carving and finishing. The size unusually small for the artist at that time may be a political desire for not competing with the artworks presented by the Grand Duke.
This bronze 40 cm high mounted on a small wood base is estimated £ 3M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 4, lot 5. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The Elector August of Saxony dies in 1586. Florence prepares diplomatic gifts for his successor the Elector Christian. Presents include horses and bronzes.
The Grand Duke Francesco is a great fan of the Mannerist style. Since 1583 the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne) has been installed in the Loggia dei Lanzi which was and has remained the most sensational permanent exhibition in the world for monumental sculptures.
The Grand Duke's gift includes three bronzes by Giambologna, probably chosen from the ducal collection. Giambologna is at the height of his glory to the point that the Grand Duke refuses him to leave Florence. He will not go to Dresden but adds a bronzetto as a personal gift. The elector thanks him with a gold chain. The four bronzes appear as early as 1587 in the inventory of the electoral Kunstkammer.
For this operation Giambologna chose the God Mars. The model was previously created by other artists. The style is decidedly mannerist, contrasting the great authority of the god of war with his muscular nudity. No symbolic props are needed to identify the god. This theme is not related to the personality of the new elector who had no military ambitions.
The process needed to make a bronze was long but Giambologna probably created this Mars specifically for this project. His superiority over his competitors lies in the quality of carving and finishing. The size unusually small for the artist at that time may be a political desire for not competing with the artworks presented by the Grand Duke.
This bronze 40 cm high mounted on a small wood base is estimated £ 3M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 4, lot 5. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
‘Dresden Mars’ returns to Saxony instead of auction at @Sothebys:https://t.co/akOgT2xNKH pic.twitter.com/Ghwh8xRSEn
— AntiquesTradeGazette (@ATG_Editorial) July 3, 2018
1590 Two Apples for the Cheeks
2000 SOLD 1.4 M$ including premium by Sotheby's
2012 UNSOLD
PRE 2012 SALE DISCUSSION
Four centuries before Salvador Dali, Giuseppe Arcimboldo has made paintings which are read differently depending on the angle, or even according to the detail that catches the eye. In most cases, a portrait becomes fruit or flowers.
When he realizes Vertumnus to 1590, he resides in his hometown, Milan, having long worked at the court of Prague.His patron remains the Emperor Rudolf II, and it is considered that Vertumnus is a portrait in fruit of the Emperorhimself.
No doubt he painted at the same time for the same patron the oil on panel, 56 x 42 cm, for sale on January 25 in New York by Christie's. It has an even rarer feature: it is reversible, meaning that we must return it from top to bottom to see in turn the portrait surmounted by a cap or the mixed fruit in a basket.
Arcimboldo's art is weird, even by the standards of our time. The explanation probably lies in the passion of Rudolf for anything that could make him understand the mechanisms of nature and the world. The gryphon's egg, which Idiscussed in 2008 in the Silver group, is similar.
Returning to our reversible artwork : unlike other portraits charges by Arcimboldo, the model is not identified. It alone generates a double play. In close up, he is rather young, with well rounded cheeks consisting of apples. From a distance, the figure is dominated by the mischievous eyes and large mustache. And that mustache has a great resemblance to that of Vertumnus.
Sold $ 1.4 million including premium by Sotheby's on 28 January 2000, this painting is now estimated $ 3M.
Four centuries before Salvador Dali, Giuseppe Arcimboldo has made paintings which are read differently depending on the angle, or even according to the detail that catches the eye. In most cases, a portrait becomes fruit or flowers.
When he realizes Vertumnus to 1590, he resides in his hometown, Milan, having long worked at the court of Prague.His patron remains the Emperor Rudolf II, and it is considered that Vertumnus is a portrait in fruit of the Emperorhimself.
No doubt he painted at the same time for the same patron the oil on panel, 56 x 42 cm, for sale on January 25 in New York by Christie's. It has an even rarer feature: it is reversible, meaning that we must return it from top to bottom to see in turn the portrait surmounted by a cap or the mixed fruit in a basket.
Arcimboldo's art is weird, even by the standards of our time. The explanation probably lies in the passion of Rudolf for anything that could make him understand the mechanisms of nature and the world. The gryphon's egg, which Idiscussed in 2008 in the Silver group, is similar.
Returning to our reversible artwork : unlike other portraits charges by Arcimboldo, the model is not identified. It alone generates a double play. In close up, he is rather young, with well rounded cheeks consisting of apples. From a distance, the figure is dominated by the mischievous eyes and large mustache. And that mustache has a great resemblance to that of Vertumnus.
Sold $ 1.4 million including premium by Sotheby's on 28 January 2000, this painting is now estimated $ 3M.
1590 The Garden of Andromeda
2016 SOLD for $ 670K including premium
Michelangelo and his followers raised their sculptures at the same level as the antique statues. Ciriaco Mattei was an important patron of the arts. He conceived around 1590 the gardens of his Roman villa exhibiting outdoor marbles.
A life-size Andromeda in the nude is one of the masterpieces of the Mattei gardens. The young woman is along with Aphrodite a symbol of the feminine beauty in Greek mythology. Chained to the rock, she lives her fate with dignity and heroism: a sea monster sent by Poseidon will come to devour her, ending the plagues sent to the earth by the jealousy of the god.
Tastes change and the Andromeda of the Mattei gardens is no more documented in the mid eighteenth century when the collections of the villa are dispersed.
This fine example of an outstanding Roman garden statue of the late Renaissance has resurfaced in perfect condition. It is estimated $ 500K for sale by Christie's in New York on April 13, lot 7. It had been sold at auction in 1985 at Finarte in Rome and two years later at Sotheby's but its link with the Villa Mattei was not yet identified and since 29 years the young woman had been once more asleep.
The marble is signed by P. Paolo Olivieri, an artist to whom Mattei had assigned in 1576 the realization of the statue of Pope Gregory XIII at the Campidoglio whose decoration had been left unfinished at the death of Michelangelo. The chain interrupts elegantly her charming nudity. The maritime atmosphere is provided by a crab opening a shell and a monkfish before the feet of Andromeda.
I invite you to watch the video shared by auction house, rightly proud of this rediscovery.
A life-size Andromeda in the nude is one of the masterpieces of the Mattei gardens. The young woman is along with Aphrodite a symbol of the feminine beauty in Greek mythology. Chained to the rock, she lives her fate with dignity and heroism: a sea monster sent by Poseidon will come to devour her, ending the plagues sent to the earth by the jealousy of the god.
Tastes change and the Andromeda of the Mattei gardens is no more documented in the mid eighteenth century when the collections of the villa are dispersed.
This fine example of an outstanding Roman garden statue of the late Renaissance has resurfaced in perfect condition. It is estimated $ 500K for sale by Christie's in New York on April 13, lot 7. It had been sold at auction in 1985 at Finarte in Rome and two years later at Sotheby's but its link with the Villa Mattei was not yet identified and since 29 years the young woman had been once more asleep.
The marble is signed by P. Paolo Olivieri, an artist to whom Mattei had assigned in 1576 the realization of the statue of Pope Gregory XIII at the Campidoglio whose decoration had been left unfinished at the death of Michelangelo. The chain interrupts elegantly her charming nudity. The maritime atmosphere is provided by a crab opening a shell and a monkfish before the feet of Andromeda.
I invite you to watch the video shared by auction house, rightly proud of this rediscovery.
1592 tabletop of fruit and a young boy
2015 unsold
Michelangelo Merisi's parents were from the village of Caravaggio that the young man used as his artist's name. Apprentice in Milan at the time of the last years of Arcimboldo, he early considered a naturalistic approach that should assign the same importance to still life and human figure.
Caravaggio arrived in Rome in 1592. At the age of 21, he did not get a major employment in the great artistic projects for Lateran and St. Peter and sought to attract customers through two modelli, the boy peeling a fruit and the boy bitten by a lizard.
An oil on canvas 65 x 53 cm of the peeling boy is estimated $ 3M for sale by Christie's in New York on January 28, lot 16.
The boy is viewed half length in front of a table on which some fruit are dispositioned. He is focused on his occupation of peeling an orange, in a sharp light coming in contrast to the almost uniformly black background.
This theme is clever because it could allow the artist to offer to his customers the Five Senses and The Four Seasons. The lizard on the other modello is an opening to the curiosity cabinets that were very fashionable during the reign of Rudolf II. The portraits of these two modelli offer the total opposition of the realistic portrayal of the peeling boy and the feeling of intense pain of the bitten boy.
Caravaggio arrived in Rome in 1592. At the age of 21, he did not get a major employment in the great artistic projects for Lateran and St. Peter and sought to attract customers through two modelli, the boy peeling a fruit and the boy bitten by a lizard.
An oil on canvas 65 x 53 cm of the peeling boy is estimated $ 3M for sale by Christie's in New York on January 28, lot 16.
The boy is viewed half length in front of a table on which some fruit are dispositioned. He is focused on his occupation of peeling an orange, in a sharp light coming in contrast to the almost uniformly black background.
This theme is clever because it could allow the artist to offer to his customers the Five Senses and The Four Seasons. The lizard on the other modello is an opening to the curiosity cabinets that were very fashionable during the reign of Rudolf II. The portraits of these two modelli offer the total opposition of the realistic portrayal of the peeling boy and the feeling of intense pain of the bitten boy.
1595 Jan Brueghel of Italy
2018 SOLD for £ 2M including premium
Pieter Bruegel dies in 1569. His two sons Pieter and Jan are very young. Their art education is careful and their grandmother certainly ensures their knowledge of the art of Pieter the Elder. When they start their career, they sign Brueghel to differentiate the generations.
Pieter the Younger makes copies and re-interpretations from the works of their father. Jan prefers original themes and stays in Italy from 1590 to 1596, in Naples and then in Rome and Milan.
An oil on copper 26 x 35 cm painted by Jan in Italy, part of the cycle of Jonah, was sold for £ 1.07M including premium by Sotheby's in London on December 3, 2008. It comes in the same auction room on December 5, lot 11 estimated £ 1.8M. It is signed Brueghel and dated 1595.
This work from the youth of Jan voluntarily juxtaposes two contradictory lights, perhaps to exercise his know-how.
On the left, brightly lit by the sun, the coastal villages are inspired by the south of Italy. In the foreground, fishermen sell their catches. This scene as well as the animated beach a little further anticipates one of the favorite themes of the artist.
The rest of the picture is a marine in the darkness under a terrible stormy sky. In this space Jonah is thrown overboard from a small boat.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Pieter the Younger makes copies and re-interpretations from the works of their father. Jan prefers original themes and stays in Italy from 1590 to 1596, in Naples and then in Rome and Milan.
An oil on copper 26 x 35 cm painted by Jan in Italy, part of the cycle of Jonah, was sold for £ 1.07M including premium by Sotheby's in London on December 3, 2008. It comes in the same auction room on December 5, lot 11 estimated £ 1.8M. It is signed Brueghel and dated 1595.
This work from the youth of Jan voluntarily juxtaposes two contradictory lights, perhaps to exercise his know-how.
On the left, brightly lit by the sun, the coastal villages are inspired by the south of Italy. In the foreground, fishermen sell their catches. This scene as well as the animated beach a little further anticipates one of the favorite themes of the artist.
The rest of the picture is a marine in the darkness under a terrible stormy sky. In this space Jonah is thrown overboard from a small boat.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
