Flemish School, early 17th Century

J. David Gonzenbach (1738-1810), St. Gallen;
Art market, Switzerland, 1962;
Private Collection, Switzerland;
Anonymous sale, Bern, Dobiaschofsky, 10 - 13 May 2017, lot 302 (as circle of Jacob de Backer and Frans Francken II).

In overall good condition. The panel is made up of two horizontal planks and is uncradled and slightly bowed. The painting surface is clean and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a thin horizontal line of retouching along the panel join, running the width of the painting. There are also small scattered retouchings largely along the upper margin and in the upper left corner, and in the dark clouds around the mouth of hell, lower right, along the lines of the wood grain. Offered in a plain dark wood frame in 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 is the highest quality of three variants of the subject, all with differences, the others being in the John G. Johnson collection, Philadelphia (inv. no. 407) where attributed to a follower of Jacob de Backer, the other having been sold Stockholm, Bukowski, 2 December 2005, lot 689, where associated with Frans Francken the Younger. The painting has a close association with a work in the Kunsthistorisches museum in Vienna by Hieronymous Francken in which the saviour angel recurs in precisely the same form. Other elements bring to mind the work of Jan Brueghel the Elder, particularly the hellish figures in the lower right which recall those in his own treatment of the subject of 1601 formerly with Galerie de Boer, Amsterdam.¹

1. K. Ertz and C. Nitze-Ertz, Jan Brueghel der Ältere, vol. II, Lingen 2008, pp. 661-3, cat. no. 322, reproduced.