Antwerp School, 1544

Lady Pembroke, Wilton House;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam;
Dr. W.H. de Monchy, Groeneveld, Hulshorst, by 1961 (according to a label on the reverse).

Laren, Singer Museum, Nederlandse Primitieven, July-September 1961, no. 70 (as The Master of Frankfurt).

S.H. Goddard, 'The Master of Frankfurt and his shop', in Verhandelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België, 46, 1983, no. 38, p. 167, under no. 23 (rejected attributions).

The orginal is much warmer and yellower in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel support has a fairly recent cradle which is providing good stable support. The painting has been cleaned in the past and appears to be in good overall condition. The paint surface has suffered a little from wear in the past leading to some slight loss of detail in the flesh tones and landscape. There are two old vertical splits in the panel; the first in the upper left corner 1.5 cm in from the left hand edge and extending down to the wall behind the Saint, the second a larger split 4cm in from the right hand edge running the height of the panel. There is an old hairline split or crack running down 5cm from the top edge. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals repairs to the splits mentioned above as well as considerable retouching to the face and neck of the Saint and to an old 2.1 cm damage on her thigh. The remainder of the paint surface appears well preserved especially in the lower half and futher restoration is of a local nature only, chiefly in the landscape and sky and details of the costume. The restoration has been well carried out but has now slightly discoloured. This lot is offered with a modern parcel gilt wood frame in reasonable condition.
"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."

This altar wing clearly manifests the influence of Joos van Cleve, in particular the left wing of his Adoration of the Magi triptych in Berlin. 
The lush foreground, however, is closer to the works of the Master of Frankfurt.  The monogram and date appear to be original and have withstood a recent cleaning; many 16th-century paintings bear later, false Lucas van Leyden monograms (which the present monogram resembles), but it seems unlikely that an artist falsifying the monogram would have added the date 1544, which is eleven years after Lucas’ death.

It has been suggested that the monogram could belong to Philips Lisaert, a successful painter in mid-century Antwerp, by whom no works are known today.  Lisaert became a master in the Antwerp guild of St. Luke in 1520, at a time when Joos and the Master of Frankfurt were among the dominant artistic personalities in the city, and had one of the largest stalls in the annual Antwerp art fair (the Pand) in the 1540s and 1550s.  He became dean of the Antwerp guild in 1549 and founded a dynasty of painters that lasted four generations. 

Infra-red reflectographs reveal a detailed, freely-drawn underdrawing throughout the panel.

The companion wing to this painting, showing Saint Barbara, was sold London, Christie’s, 21 July 1972, lot 139.