Follower of Sir Peter Paul Rubens

A. Lehmann, Paris;
With Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna, 1931.

G. Gluck, Van Dyck. Des Meisters Gemälde, New York 1931, pp. 523–24, reproduced p. 46 (as Van Dyck);
E. Larsen, The Paintings of Anthony van Dyck, Freren 1988, vol. II, p. 84, cat. no. 181, reproduced (as Van Dyck).

The panel is cradled, flat and stable. The paint surface is relatively clean and the varnish only slightly discoloured. There is a small pinprick loss, lower left, just to the left of the angel's leg. The varnish fluoresces opaquely under ultraviolet light, making it difficult to discern old restoration. It does reveal retouching to a small diagonal scratch, measuring less than 1 cm., towards the bottom of the saint's yellow robe, and retouching to two vertical, parallel superficial scratches in the saint's upper left arm, the longer of which measures approx. 3cm. There appears to be some older scattered spot retouching in the darker areas of the foreground around the figures' feet. In overall very good condition.
"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 sketch originally formed part of a series of the four Evangelists. Of the other three, two – those depicting Saint Mark and Saint Luke – are last recorded in a sale in New York, American Art Association, 22 January 1931, lots 23 and 24, as by Rubens. The fourth panel, that of Saint John is last recorded in the Neuerburg collection in Hamburg, but by then attributed to Van Dyck. As Gluck first observed, this sketch is connected to Van Dyck's larger canvas of Saint John the Evangelist and Saint John the Baptist formerly in the Kaiser Friedrich-Museum in Berlin.¹ That figure in turn derives from the figure of St John in the right wing of the triptych of Rubens' Lamentation in the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, which has been considered a work by Van Dyck while in Rubens' studio.²

1. S. Barnes, N. de Poorter, H. Vey, O. Millar, Van Dyck. A complete catalogue of the paintings, New Haven 2004, p. 52, cat. no. I.37, reproduced.
2. J.R. Judson, 'Rubens. the Passion of Christ', in Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard, vol. VI, London 2000, p. 226, cat. no. 66, reproduced fig. 196.