Attributed to Matthieu van Beveren (1630-1690) Flemish, Antwerp, 2nd half 17th century

the titulus inscribed in Hebrew, Greek and Latin in black ink; on an associated wood cross

F.J. Peters collection, the Netherlands
Sotheby's New York, 2 March 1984, lot 118

Grabski, J. (ed.), Opus sacrum. From the collection of Barbara Piasecka Johnson, exh. cat. Royal Castle Warsaw, 1990, cat. 72, pp. 359-361

Overall the condition of the figure is very good. There is some minor wear consistent with age. There are a few minor splits and losses due to small knots and grains in the material, particularly in the perezonium. There is a loss to a small insert at the proper left side of the figure, the proper right side has a large, original, insert of which the joint is visible. The arms were carved separately and joined at the shoulders. There are a few minor chips and restorations to the crown of thorns at the front of the head. There are repairs to the little and ring fingers of the proper right hand and the ring and middle finger of the proper left hand. The nail on Christ's right hand side is missing its nut. The titulus has a chip to the lower right corner. There is some minor worming to the cross.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This unusually large Netherlandish boxwood crucifix is the most spectacular sculpture of its kind to be offered on the market in a quarter of a century. Its physiognomy and anatomy, and the drapery style of its perizonium are closely related to a slightly smaller corpus, which was acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1982 with a tentative attribution to Matthieu van Beveren (accession no. 82.SD.138). But since no signed or documented crucifixes by van Beveren are known so far, attributions in this field remain hypothical, and are the subject of scholarly discussion. Christian Theuerkauff, for instance, excludes the Getty crucifix from the master's oeuvre. However, the facial type of Christ offered here shows certain resemblances to the Pieta in Brussels (Musees Royaux d'Art et de l'Histoire) and to the 53.5 cm high boxwood Crucifix in the Vleeshuis, Antwerp, both of which have also been attributed to van Beveren. Its drapery details moreover resemble those on the mantle of an ivory Immaculata attributed to van Beveren (Brussels, Musees Royaux d'Art et de l'Histoire, inv. no. Sc. 102). But the present Crucifix stands out from all these comparanda by the sheer energy and vastness of its drapery movement. Together with the naturalistic rendering of physical details of suffering - such as the veins on the surface of the arms, legs and the abdomen - the carving creates a dense and highly expressive image, which must have been sculpted by one of the most gifted hands of its age.

RELATED LITERATURE

C. Theuerkauff, 'Addenda to the Small-Scale Sculpture of Matthieu van Beveren of Antwerp,' The Metropolitan Museum of Art Journal XXIII, 1988, pp. 125-147.