Frans Francken the Younger Antwerp 1581 - 1642 and Jaspar van der Laanen

Wolf collection, Switzerland.

The colours of the painting are more vibrant than the catalogue illustration suggests. The seemingly stable support consists of two horizontal panels. It has a slight convex bow and is bevelled along all four margins. The paint surface is clean and secure, with the colours and some of the detail, particularly in the foliage upper centre, well-preserved. The brown tones in the foreground and trees, as well as the blue of the sky upper right are slightly abraded. There are some scuff marks to the painting, and an old restored surface scratch, approx. 8cm. long centre right, which are visible in the catalogue illustration. A further, less noticeable, old vertical scratch, approx. 8cm. long in the sky centre left is visible due to a slight discolouration of the retouchings. These retouchings are confirmed by inspection under UV light, which further reveals extensive scattered retouchings to the sky and background, scattered spot retouchings and strengthenings to the trees and fairly extensive scattered spot retouchings to the foreground, which leaves Apollo, the open book lower right as well as large passages of the figures groups largely untouched. Offered in a black and parcel gilt frame in fairly good condition with some knocks.
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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."