Follower of Rueland Frueauf the Elder

Dr. Peter Hierzenberger, Vienna;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 4 April 1984, lot 7, for £20,000 (as by a follower of Rueland Frueauf the Elder);
Sale ('The Gothick Pavilion - A Private collection from Belgravia'), London, Christie's, 26 January 2011, lot 189, for £10,000.

The panel is cradled and appears flat. The paint surface has many small dot losses where the ground or support is visible (as seen in the catalogue illustration). There are some discoloured retouchings, mainly repairs to vertical splits in the wood. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows at leat two campaigns of restoration: the densest areas of work from the older restoration are those in the chest of the kneeling figures lower left; in the base of the column on which Christ stands; and the tiled floor lower right. More recent restoration consists of an area in Christ's torso; in the raised whip; and in the upper right corner, as well as aforementioned repairs to vertical splits. Otherwise there are scattered repairs to paint losses throughout. This lot is offered in a pain wood frame painted red and brown, with some minor knocks.
"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."

Probably once part of larger polyptych representing scenes from the Passion. At the time of the Christie's 2011 sale, Ludwig Meyer confirmed this as a contemporary work by a follower of Frueauf the Elder (Markt Obernberg am Inn circa 1440 - 1507 Passau), and dated it to the years 1480-1490.
The tiled floor, the arrangement of figures, and architectural detail relate to a Flagellation painted by Frueauf in 1490-1491, and today in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.¹ Christ's high chest, narrow shoulders, and legs positioned at an awkward angle can be seen also in Frueauf's Man of Sorrows in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich (inv. no. 10681).²
A comparison with Frueauf's oeuvre leaves no doubt as to the present lot being by a different hand. However, if the design were indeed based on Frueauf's panel in Vienna, then it would be slightly later in date than Meyer suggested.
1. See A. Stange, Deutsche Malerei der Gotik: Salzburg, Bayern und Tirol in der Zeit von 1400 bis 1500, vol. 10, Nendeln 1969, p. 39, reproduced plate 65.
2. Oil on pine panel, 182.5 x 116 cm. See M. Schawe, Alte Pinakothek: Altdeutsche und altniederländische Malerei, Munich 2006, p. 156, reproduced p. 157.