FLEMISH SCHOOL, LATE 17TH CENTURY | Head of an apostle

oil on canvas

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 3 August 1973, lot 258 (as "Van Dyck");
There acquired by Mr. Jack and Mrs. Eileen Feather, California;
Thence by descent to the present owner.

The canvas is lined. What appear to be stretcher bar marks are at about three inches of the frame, meanwhile some old frame rubbing and minor associated loss is barely noticeable closer to the edges, specifically in the top and bottom edge. Two pin dots that appear to be old punctures are on the background at center right of the sitter's face. The paint is abraded throughout as seen with the book the sitter holds. What could have been an old repair is barely visible at center left. There is a tiny dot of loss on the sitter's beard. Inspection under UV show some retouching to the top half of the sitter's face, with some scattered lines of retouches on his hair. Though further reading is impeded due to a milky varnish, there appears to be some scattered dots of retouches on the book at lower right. The painting is offered in carved and painted decorative frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

This painting derives its inspiration from a series of portraits Anthony van Dyck made of the apostles.¹

1. See S. Barnes, N. de Poorter, O. Millar, and H. Vey,  'Van Dyck: A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings', New Haven and London 2004, pp. 71-80.

A note on the provenance:

Jack and Eileen Feather met and fell in love as teenagers in their home town of Omaha, Nebraska. When they married, days after Jack's 19th birthday, Eileen was working as a bank clerk and Jack was pursuing a degree in English on his way to becoming a teacher. Soon after the birth of their first child, Jack and Eileen moved to California so that Jack could continue his education at UC Berkeley. Shortly thereafter Jack was diagnosed with polio, leaving him bedridden for months. Jack’s recovery efforts kindled an interest in physical fitness and led to his innovating new exercises to help regain strength. Eileen began exercising with Jack, acting as his tireless workout partner, motivator, and collaborator; their pioneering exercises helped him make a full recovery and feeling stronger than ever.

In an effort to allow them to share their knowledge and help people, Jack and Eileen decided to start a business together, and the Eileen Feather Figure Salon was created. Soon, through their talent and determination, the salon grew to become an extremely successful franchise and Eileen herself became an icon of health, beauty and self-made success. When it came to Jack and Eileen enjoying the privileges of their success, they always thought of ways to broaden their horizons through art. Together they started a lovely collection of Old Masters full of historical portraits, mythological allegories, religious scenes, and breathtaking landscapes. Besides their remarkable taste in art, the collection reflects and honors their lifelong partnership.