Joseph Heintz the Elder (1564 Basel - 1609 Prague) and workshop


Joseph Heintz the Elder (1564 Basel - 1609 Prague) and workshop
Cupid Carving the Arch
around 1610
Oil on canvas, 140 x 87 cm
Price on request
The depiction is an extraordinarily faithful copy of the „Bow Carving Cupid“ by Parmigianino, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. [1] Heintz has kept to all the details of the model. Parmigianino’s painting, which became famous shortly after it was painted in 1535, was long sought by Emperor Rudolf II, but it was not until 1603 that Philip III agreed to send the work to Prague.
Already in the collection of Emperor Rudolf II in the first decade of the 17th century the original was exhibited with its copy by Heintz. Rudolf’s court painter Joseph Heintz the Elder had made a copy after Parmigianinos‘ Arch Carving Cupid. The two paintings hung side by side for a long time in the Imperial Treasury in Vienna, where they were considered a special sight. Peter Paul Rubens also created a free copy.
Two large-format copies and a small-format version on copper exist from the hand of Heintz.
[1] Parmigianino (1504-1540), Arch Carving Cupid, between 1534-1539, oil on wood, 135.5 cm x 65 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Joseph Heintz the Elder (1564-1609), Arch Carving Cupid, after 1603, oil on wood, 135 x 64 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert - Pan plays to the dance of the putti


Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert - Pan plays to the dance of the putti
(1614 Bergen op Zoom – 1654 Antwerp)
Pan plays to the dance of the putti
Oil sketch
Oil on canvas, 35 x 51 cm
Price: 18.000€
Provenance:
Belgian private collection, ca. 1980 to 2020.
The oil sketch shows a flute-playing man with dark curls sitting at the left edge of the picture in a recess draped with cloth. In the lower left corner, a fallen bowl with leaking water can be seen. The right half of the picture shows a circle of five dancing putti, whereby the left putti can be recognized as a satyr due to the goat legs. The background is dominated by a dark mountain landscape. In the sky a rising or setting sun can be guessed. It is possible that the flute player represents Bacchus, the god of wine and ecstasy. This fits with the flute as a symbol of celebration, as well as the bowl of water, which could refer to Bacchus‘ mother, Lethe. Lethe is a river in the underworld, which at the same time symbolizes „oblivion“. Thus, the spilling water bowl is not only a reference to this river, but it also symbolizes „oblivion“. Moreover, Bacchus is usually depicted with satyrs in his retinue, which would explain the putto with goat legs. However, the interpretation of the flute player as the god Pan would be possible. He is usually shown with his flute and associated with dance. Moreover, he is native to the mountainous landscape of Arcadia.
The present work is an oil sketch, i.e. a preparatory study. This is suggested by the partly unfinished parts, as well as the structure of the picture. Some parts are already almost completely laid out, such as the flute player, while others, for example the horizon and also the figures of the putti, are only sketched in outline.
The painting can be attributed to the Baroque painter Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert. This attribution was also confirmed by Prof. Hans Vlieghe.
Bosschaert lived and worked in Antwerp with Peter Paul Rubens and Anthonis van Dyck, among others. He studied with Gerard Seghers and probably also with Van Dyck. In 1637 he joined the St. Luke’s Guild. His work is characterized by a large number of religious and historical paintings. He worked for Prince Frederick Henry of Orange and Prince William II of Orange, among others.
The present oil sketch is a smaller version of the „Children’s Bacchanal“ by Bosschaert in Kassel. This painting shows a multitude of putti surrounding and celebrating with the drunken boy Bacchus. The basic compositional structure, as well as the design of the putti, shows a great closeness to the oil sketch. The „Cupid with tamed lion (Amor Triumphans)“ also shows great similarities in structure and style. In Bosschaert’s oil sketch „Venus Holds Back Mars – Allegory of War“ we find, among other things, the standing putto, facing the viewer.
The present oil sketch will have served as a preparatory study for a larger history painting. This working practice is often attested for collaborators or the circle of Peter Paul Rubens and Anthonis Van Dyck.
Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert was particularly influenced by Van Dyck. This is also evident in this work, as comparable putti are depicted in Van Dyck’s „Triumph of Bacchus“, for example. The concentration of the figures on the right side of the picture, a similarly yellowish sky and various pictorial elements such as the fallen bowl (albeit filled with fruit) are also found there. Van Dyck’s „Rest on the Flight into Egypt“ is also very similar in pictorial composition. On the right side we see the dancing putti in a circle. On the left side, however, instead of the flute player, there is the Holy Family.
A model or inspiration for the present work could have been an engraving by the Italian Giulio Carpioni (1613-1678). The composition (though mirrored due to the copper engraving) is very similar, showing dancing putti on the left and a flute player with buck legs and curls on the right. In addition, one of the putti is also marked as a satyr with goat legs.
The present oil sketch from the hand of Bosschaert is an interesting addition to his oeuvre and illustrates not only his creative style but also his stylistic proximity to Van Dyck.
Literature:
Axel Heinrich, Thomas Willeboirt’s Bosschaert, Turnhout 2003, vol. I, cat A 58, fig. 88.
Flemish School of the 17th Century - Orpheus and the Animals




Flemish School of the 17th Century
Orpheus and the Animals
Oil on canvas, 146,5 x 217 cm
Price on request
Provenance: South German private collection.
On an impressive, room-filling format, this painting depicts „Orpheus and the Animals“.
The harp-playing Orpheus sits centrally in front of a tree whose trunk forks above his head. This central tree frames the scenery with its crown towards the horizon and at the same time offers space for many birds through its branches. The left half of the picture is dominated by a seascape, at the edge of which the ruins of a castle can be seen deep in the background. This seascape, which is framed by mountains on the horizon, is the only area where sky can be seen. On this side, waterfowl such as storks, swans and ducks can be seen. In the right half, the viewer looks into a deep European forest. On this right side, more land animals can be found, such as deer, rabbits and lions, among others. Orpheus wears opulent red and gold clothing with gold trim, and under his blue breastplate we see a white shirt. His feet are adorned by elaborate sandals. His head is surrounded by a radiant laurel wreath („poeta laureatus“). The young man is clearly recognisable by his harp, the laurel wreath and the animals surrounding him as the singer and poet of Greek mythology, Orpheus.
Orpheus was one of the Argonauts who, under Jason, was searching for the Golden Fleece. He sang so beautifully that he even conquered the angry sea and enemies by the magic of his lyre. During the journey, Orpheus is said to have even drowned out the sirens with his singing. It is said that he was the greatest of all poets and charmed people, animals, stones and trees with his song.
A total of 51 birds and 37 different species are depicted in the painting. .[1] Most of the animals are depicted in great detail and, with the exception of a few, can be identified. Mainly European species are shown. Exceptions are the ostrich-like nandu peeking out from behind the deer, the large parrot at the upper left, and the two lions. The same applies to the large animal directly behind Orpheus on the right. The shape of the head suggests an arctic fox from the polar regions, even though the body is much too large. The arctic fox was first described in 1555 by Olaus Magnus. However, it could also be a depiction of a brown or black bear.
An unusual detail is the animal, which is relatively isolated in the right background and looks to the left. It is not clearly identifiable, but it bears some resemblance to the Australian kangaroo. This was first described by Vespucci in 1500 and further by Francisco Pelsaert in 1629. If it is indeed a kangaroo, this would be one of the earliest surviving pictorial representations of a kangaroo.
In this painting, Orpheus is accompanied by a small monkey playing a viola da gamba. This is an iconographic peculiarity. In general, this painting has some peculiarities compared to other paintings with „Orpheus and the Animals“. The central positioning of Orpheus is quite common, but he usually holds a lyre and is dressed in an antique style, but not as opulently. The choice of animals is also remarkable: European animals in particular are to be seen, hardly any exotic features such as camels or elephants.
The two lions in the right foreground are a quotation after Peter Paul Rubens and his depiction of „Daniel in the Lion’s Den“, which was realised in an engraving.
On the basis of its painterly and compositional conception, the present painting can be classified as belonging to the Flemish School of the 17th century. There are numerous depictions of this Orpheus theme from the circle of Jan Brueghel the Younger, who used the occasion to show as many exotic animals as possible. There are also echoes of Spanish painters such as Juan de Arellano or the Italian Sinibaldo Scorza. The composition of the tree landscape is also reminiscent of Jan Brueghel the Younger and Roelant Savery. One must assume that the artist of the present painting knew some depictions of Orpheus and combined them here in a kind of capriccio. Moreover, one must assume that he had seen some of the animals either in the original (menageries), as stuffed animals or also in copper engravings. This access and this education alone speak for a creation of the painting in the circle of a court or a highly educated patron.
[1] We would like to thank Mr. Ruud Vlek, Amsterdam, for his research and for his help to identify the different species and their meaning.
Follower of Jacopo Amigoni


Follower of Jacopo Amigoni
(1685 –1752)
Saint John the Baptist Preaching
Oil on canvas, 22 x 31 cm
Price: € 8,000
–
Gottfried Libald






Gottfried Libald
(c. 1610 Hamburg – 1673 Vienna)
Still life with birds, fruits and vegetables
Oil on canvas, 101 x 84 cm
Signed upper left „G Libald “ (G and L ligated)
Price: € 48.000
Provenance: Private collection Brussels; Private collection Ghent (Belgium)
Gottfried Libalt was a German Mannerist artist who was particularly active in Hamburg, Krakow and Vienna.
Two of his major works can still be found in the church of St. Peter in Hamburg. He was famous for his still lifes and the excellent rendering of materiality.
The present painting is published in the specialist literature on Libalt and is recognised as an authentic work by the artist. It is also listed in the Rijksarchief voor Kunsthistorische Dokumentatie (RKD).
Literature:
Z. Kazplepka, The „unknown Gottfried Libalt (1610-1673). Additions to his life and work. Umeni/Art, XLVI, 1998, pp. 212-218, fig. 1 (p. 213).
Jan van der Bent


Jan van der Bent
(1650 – Amsterdam – 1690)
Southern landscape with resting shepherdesses before ruins
oil on canvas, 87 x 75 cm
Price: 16.500 €
Provenance:
Belgium, Private Collection until 2016
So far, little is known about life and work of Jan van der Bent. He may have been a pupil of Philips Wouwerman as his oeuvre shows strong parallels to this artist.
The present painting is based on a work by Wouwerman, today in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. There are several versions of this painting but the execution and the condition of this work is remarkable.
Italian artist of the 17th century






Italian artist of the 17th century
Circle of Carlo Maratta
Mary with Child
Oil on canvas, 61 x 73 cm
Price: 11.000 €
In a hand-carved, original frame of the 18th century
L. Franssen - Mother and Child






L. Franssen
Mother and Child
Oil on panel, 44,5 x 33,5 cm
signed
End of the 17th century
Price: € 7.500
The artist of this outstanding painting is so far completely unknown. There is no entry under „L. Franssen“ in any encyclopaedia or reference work. There was a Dutch artist, Jan Fransen (1604/5 – ca. 1646), who was mainly based in Amsterdam. According to Thieme/Becker, he created numerous paintings with biblical depictions, study heads and still lifes. However, it could also have been Jan Franssen or Frantzen, who was not born until 1644 but was also active in Amsterdam. However, no confirmed works by either artist are known.
Just as interesting as the attribution is the depiction: a young woman holds her child on her lap while she prepares a meal on a hob. At the same time she holds a rose in her hand. Most likely, Mary is depicted here with the young Jesus. The rose is then to be understood as a symbol of love.
Frans Wouters - Adoration of the Kings










Frans Wouters
(Lier 1612 – 1659 Antwerp)
Adoration of the Kings
Oil on wood, 40,5 x 52 cm
22.000 €
Frans Wouters was a Flemish Baroque painter who mainly created smaller cabinet pieces.
He was initially apprenticed to Pieter van Avont in Antwerp, but then moved to Rubens‘ workshop. In 1635 he became master of the St Luke’s Guild. He spent the 1630s as court painter to Emperor Ferdinand II d. In 1637 he was sent as ambassador to England, where he became painter to the Prince of Wales, later Charles II of England. After his return to Antwerp in 1641 his contact with the British royal family continued. In the city on the Scheldt, Wouters again worked with Pieter van Avont and created numerous mythological and decorative scenes for the art market.
Ferraù Fenzoni - Saint John the Baptist










Ferraù Fenzoni
Faenza 1561/2 – 1645 Faenza)
Saint John the Baptist
Oil on canvas, 32 x 25,5 cm
Price: 32.000 €
Provenance
Private collection, Germany, Trier, c. 1980- 2013
Saint John the Baptist
Brown ink and wash over red chalk on oatmeal paper
31 x 20.5 cm
Inscribed: „“Ferrau Fenzonio da Faenza invt. esque. . . imp. da Fran: Villamena . . .”.
bears the collector’s mark of Henry Scipio Reitlinger (1882-1950; Lugt 2274a) on a tiny label glued to the verso
On the reverse is a partial drawing of a Pieta, pricked for transfer.
Provenance
New York, Doyle, 14. October 2015, No. 6
The painting and the preparatory drawing resemble the composition of an engraving after Ferraù Fenzoni by Francesco Villamena.[1] Drawing, engraving and painting are almost identical, except for minor differences. Even the measurements nearly correspond: painting (32 x 25,5 cm), drawing (30 x 20,5 cm), engraving (31,1 x 23,5 cm).
Dr. Guiseppe Scavizzi confirmed the attribution of the present panting to Fenzoni and he dates it to c. 1590.[2]
[1] Fenzoni, Saint John the Baptist, brown ink and wash over red chalk on oatmeal paper, 30 x 20,5 cm, Inscribed: “Ferrau Fenzonio da Faenza invt. esque. . . imp. da Fran: Villamena . . .”, Galen Galerie.
Francesco Villamena, Saint John the Baptist, engraving, 31,9 x 24,4 cm. One example of the engraving can be found in London, British Museum, Department of prints and drawings. In the collection of Luca Castrichini there is a reddish impression.
See Scavizzi/Schwed (2006), p. 364, No. S 5.
[2] Dr. Guiseppe Scavizzi , 21. August 2013. „For what I can see from the photograph the painting appear to me to be an original work, style and quality seem to match Fenzoni’s own, and it was probably produced in the 1590s.”; “ … I can confirm that on the base of the reproduction, my impression is that the painting is by Fenzoni.“