ATTRIBUTED TO JOOS VAN CLEVE | The Lamentation

Johann Peter Weyer, Cologne;
His sale, Cologne, J M Heberle, 25-30 August 1862, lot 72, to Prof. Andreas Müller, Düsseldorf, on behalf of Fürst Karl Anton von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Fürstlich Hohenzollernsches Sammlung, Sigmaringen;
From whom acquired by Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne, by 1933-4 (inv. no. 834);
Purchased 25 May 1944 by Heinz Kisters (1912–1977), Kreuzlingen, Switzerland;
His sale ('Collection formed by the late Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the property of Heinz Kisters), London, Christie's, 26 June 1970, lot 8;
Bought back and thence by descent to the present owner.

Catalog der Sammlung von Gemälden älterer Meister des Herrn Johann Peter Weyer..., Cologne 1859, no. 142;
Illustrirter Katalog der reichen Gemä̈lde-Gallerie des Herrn J.P. Weyer, Stadtbaumeister a.D., Ritter des Leopold-Ordens, Cologne 1862, no. 149;
A. von Lehner, Fürstliches Hohenzollernsches Museum zu Sigmaringen, Sigmaringen 1883, p. 24, no. 72 (as B. Bruyn);
Firmenich-Richartz, Bartholomäus Bruyn und seine Schule, in Beiträge z. Kunstgesch., N.F. XIV, 1891, p. 123;
J. Friedländer, Von Eyck bis Bruegel, Berlin 1916, p. 139, reproduced, p. 188;
F. Rieffel, 'Das Fürstlich Hohenzollernsche Museum zu Sigmaringen', in Städel-Jahrbuch, vols 3/4, 1924, p. 591;
J. Rosenberg, in Thieme-Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler, Vol. XVIII, 1925, p. 377;
Kurzes Verzeichnis der im Staedelschen Kunstinstitut ausgestellten Sigmaringer Sammlungen, Frankfurt 1928, p. 7, no. 3;
E. Buchner, in Wallraf-Richartz Jahrbuch, 1933-4, p. 311;
J. Friedländer, Die Altniederländische Malerei, Berlin 1934, Vol. IX, p. 126, cat. no. 5 (as Jan Joest);
C.P. Baudisch, Jan Joest van Kalkar. Ein Beitrag zur Kunstgeschichte des Niederrheins, Bonn 1940, p. 152-155, fig. 73 (as Jan Joest von Kalkar);
A. Stange, Deutsche Malerei der Gotik, Vol. VI, Munich 1954, p. 66, reproduced, plate 123;
J. Friedländer (ed. F. Grossmann), From van Eyck to Bruegel, 1956, p. 110, reproduced, plate 228 (as Jan Joest);
A. Stange, Die Deutschen Tafelbilder vor Dürer, Munich 1967, vol. I, cat. no. 402;
J. Tümmers, Die Altarbilder des Älteren Bartholomäus Bruyn : mit einem kritischen Katalog, Cologne 1964, no. C 86;
M. J. Friedländer, Early Netherlandish Painting, Vol. IXa, Leiden 1972, pp. 14-15, 52 cat. no. 5, reproduced plate 12 (as by Jan Joest);
H. Kier & F.G. Zehnder, Lust und Verlust, vol. I, Cologne 1995,  p. 563, no. 154, plate LIX; vol. II, Cologne 1998, p. 510, no. 142 (both volumes as Jan Joest van Kalkar);
U. Wolff-Thomsen, Jan Joest von Kalkar. Ein niederländischer Maler um 1500, Bielefeld 1997, p. 409 (as an early work by Joos van Cleve).

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This picture is in sound condition overall. Passages such as Mary Magdalene's detailed bodice and the minute pattern on the edge of Mary's mantle have held up remarkably well, while a fine craquelure and rubbing interrupt the details and modeling in flesh passages. In the faces and Christ's body, retouching is limited primarily to losses, leaving dark cracks and wear untouched. Across the sky, restoration addresses several losses and rubbing, and retouching compensates for losses along the right and bottom edges of the picture. Toning in the darker portions of the blue mantle have shifted slightly in tone and opacity. The varnish is even and clear. The wood panel support has a cradle attached to the reverse and is planar. It is possible that a new restoration might coax some details out of the rubbed faces and flesh passages, but the current restoration remains in good enough condition that cleaning is not essential; some amount of corrective retouching may prove to be a satisfactory option. The painting may be hung in its current state.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Prior to its restoration following its auction in 1970 (see Provenance), this Lamentation was long considered an early work by the rare Wesel born painter Jan Joest van Calcar. Friedländer was among the first to take up the attribution of the picture in some length upon it's acquisition by the Wallraf-Richartz museum, calling it an early work by that as-yet little known painter. Following its publication by Friedländer, however, the painting was cleaned and unnecessary overpaint revealed a smoothness of handling much in line with the early work of Joest's pupil, Joos van Cleve. Indeed its brighter palette and the smooth plasticity with which the figures are rendered recall Joos' output from his early maturity in Antwerp. U. Wolff-Thomsen (see Literature), was among the first to re-position the attribution in favor of Joos van Cleve, with subsequent scholarly consensus leaning in favor of this opinion.