- 105
Jan Massys
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description
- Jan Massys
- The Nativity
- signed and dated lower right: IOANNES MASSIIS ALIAS QUINTENS 1552
- oil on panel transferred to canvas
Provenance
Anonymous sale, London, Phillip's, 16 April 1991, lot 141, where incorrectly stated to be on linen;
With Galerie Sepia, Paris 1994;
Private collection, London;
By whom donated to the present owners.
With Galerie Sepia, Paris 1994;
Private collection, London;
By whom donated to the present owners.
Literature
L. Buijnsters-Smets, Jan Massys: een Antwerps schilder uit de zestiende eeuw, Zwolle 1995, p. 179, cat no. 25.
Condition
The canvas has a firm, recent relining. The paint surface is secure, although somewhat pressed by the aforementioned lining. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered retouchings, most notably in the faces of the Christ child and Virgin and in the architectural details upper centre.
Offered in a wooden frame in good 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
This is one of only two surviving dated works from the period between 1544 and 1555 when Jan Massys, along with his brother Cornelis and others, was exiled from Flanders on account of his heretical sympathies. The other painting, a Virgin and Child, is in the Palazzo Bianco in Genoa. Massys certainly spent some of his exile in Italy after 1549, but whether these two works were painted there is not known for certain.