FLEMISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY | Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and Saint Francis

oil on paper laid down on panel, unframed While a direct prototype for this composition has so far proved elusive, the author of this work was clearly directly inspired by the leading artists based in Antwerp in the first decades of the 17th century – Sir Peter Paul Rubens and Sir Anthony van Dyck. It is difficult to exaggerate the extent of these masters' pervasive and far-reaching influence on both their contemporaries and artists of successive generations. This composition is executed in the spirit of the monochrome oil sketches produced by both painters. The dynamic folds of drapery and the forceful devotional expression of Saint Francis’ outstretched hand also reflect the impact of Italian art on Flemish painting at this time.

All paintings available to view at the Sotheby’s Greenford Park warehouse, 5 - 7 and 10 – 13 September (10 - 4pm), by appointment. The paper is laid on a panel which is uncradled, flat and stable. The paint surface is relatively clean and the varnish slightly discoloured. There are a few slight surface scratches by the figure's head upper left, and in the lower corners, and a small vertical tear is visible lower left starting along the lower edge. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals small scattered retouchings throughout, most notably lower right.
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