Sebastiaen Vrancx

In the possession of the family of the current owners since at least 1930.

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 intricate and fine painting is in beautiful condition. The panel is flat and cradled on the reverse. It is seemingly made from two pieces of oak, the join running through the lower quarter of the picture. There is a conspicuous lack of damage associated with abrasion or paint loss, which is a distinguishing feature of this picture. The paint layer is most likely clean and while the frame is not appropriate, the picture itself may be hung as is. There are some restorations associated with the panel join and a few other splits above it; however, throughout the rest of the picture, the condition is beautiful. The only exception is a vertical line of restoration situated directly to the right of the chimney of the first house in the center of the picture. However, overall the picture is in beautiful 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."

Sebastiaen Vrancx became an officer in the Antwerp Civic Guard in 1613 and eight years later was made a captain, and it was no doubt this first-hand military experience formed his interest and skill in the depiction of cavalry engagments and battles of the Dutch wars. Vrancx was to become the seminal figure in the development of such subjects, and approximatley half of his known works are devoted to military scenes. Dated 1623, the present picture is among the finest from this group and is a mature work from artist's oeuvre.

The scene shown here depicts a battle from the Thirty Years' War which took place on 6 August 1623, between Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly (on horseback bottom right), General of the Catholic League in the Thirty Year's War, and the Protestant General, Christian of Brunswick. The battle was fought in the town of Stadtlohn, a little over five miles short of the Dutch border. After a lengthy engagment in which more than six thousand soldiers were killed, Tserclaes' Catholic forces overran those of Chrisitan of Brunswick, though he himself would eventually escape, but not before losing a reported 13,000 troops.¹

In addition to the rare fact that the date of this scene can be precisely identified, the picture contains multiple interesting iconographic elements. First, is the inclusion of the hand of Antwerp, painted on the obelisk at right. Normally incised on the reverse of a panel, the painted hand shown here clearly refers to Antwerp, which used the symbol of the severed hand in many ways. The symbol is used in accordance with the legend which tells the story of the giant called Antigoon, who lived near the river Scheldt. The giant, who threw the severed hands of people that refused to pay a tribute when crossing the river, was eventually defeated by a valiant hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and cast it into the Scheldt. The very name Antwerpen has been explained as being derived from hand werpen, or "hand throwing". That the present work alludes to the role of Antwerp's civic guard, in combatting a symbolic character, or opposition forces, is reinforced by another interesting iconographic element, the inscription "SPQA" (Senatus Populusque Anwerpiensis). This is clearly an adaptation of the more famous SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus), the Latin abbreviation for the ancient Roman government.

In a letter dated 16 March 1981, Professor Julius Held confirmed the full attribution to Vrancx, calling it a "most characteristic work".

1.  P. Wilson, Europe's Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years' War, London 2009, p. 343.