Erasmus Quellinus the Younger

Acquired by the father of the present owner during the middle of the 20th Century;
Thence by descent.

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The canvas has an old lining and as a consequence there is a slight loss of tension. The vertical streaks, upper left, are the result of recent water damage and this has left the paint raised and unstable in this area. There has been significant augmentation to the lower horizontal section of the painting, 7cm in, and further strengthening of the paint along the top edge. Other minor restored losses are scattered across the surface. Overall, the painting is in a good untouched, original condition with well preserved paint texture and strong colours that saturate well. There is noticeably little visible abrasion to the paint surface. Removing the varnish would improve the tonality. Offered in a carved gilt wood frame, in good condition."
"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."

This imposing work was probably executed towards the end of Quellinus' career in the 1660s. Where previously Quellinus' style had been locked into that of Rubens, with whom he worked extensively in the 1630s, from the 1650s onwards Quellinus was more and more influenced by the classicising italian models developed by artists in Rome in the wake of Annibale Carracci. His large historical and religious canvases take on a new sense of grandeur and adopt the appearance of a stage set, with acutely sculptural figures set against a flamboyant, theatrical architectural background, akin to the work of Paolo Veronese; see, for example, his work of 1664, Suffer little children to come unto me, in Brussels, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten (inv. no. 8200), which includes similar models, architecture, and which is of very similar dimensions to the present work.¹

The sculptural quality of the principal figures, with their typically idealised baroque, twisting forms, are almost certainly inspired by the sculptures of the artist's brother Artus Quellinus; indeed the figural sculpture at the left is probably copied directly from Artus. The two worked closely together throughout their careers and in 1656 they collaborated on the decoration of the interior of the Amsterdam Stadhuis, Erasmus' paintings perfectly complementing the surrounding sculptural decoration of his brother. The present work speaks not only of the overriding influence of his brother but also that of his son, Jan Erasmus Quellinus; indeed, Jan Erasmus is probably responsible for the architecture.

We are grateful to both Dr. Hans Vlieghe and Mr. Jan de Maere for independently proposing the attribution to Erasmus Quellinus on the basis of photographs. Both Dr. Vlieghe and Mr. de Maere consider this a mature work by the artist, probably dating from the 1660s.

1. 175 by 236 cm.; see J.P. De Bruyn, Erasmus II Quellinus, Freren 1988, p. 257, no. 220, reproduced p. 258.