Marten van Valckenborch

In the posession of the family of the current owner since circa 1950. 

An old glue relining is firm and stable. under a very dirty and discolored old varnish. the paint surface has been slightly pressed in the relining, but overall has been well retained and detail remains quite good. there is a surface scratch in sky to left of center and some scuffing at center to right of carriage. small losses can be seen at upper right and left corners, and there appear to be some old reworkings along upper edge. it is impossible to see anything under UV light due to the thick, old varnish. painting should benefit from a light cleaning. In a painted green frame with gilt inner edge.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present work is a hitherto unpublished and recently discovered work by Marten van Valckenborch. Valckenborch depicted the Adoration of the Magi in another picture as part of a series depicting the months of the year, each infused with a different scene from the life of Christ (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum).¹ As in the present work, that scene is set in an expansive winter townscape, with the central characters placed beneath a similarly rendered thatched barn. 

Born in Louvain, Marten van Valckenborch, the older brother of Lukas van Valckenborch (1535-1597), enrolled in the painters' guild in Mechlen on 13 August 1559. He moved to Antwerp in 1564 and after the iconoclasm of 1566, he fled to Aachen for political and religious reasons. He returned to Antwerp in 1575-76, but in 1585 when the Spanish troops conquered the area south of the Meuse, he fled again, this time to Frankfurt am Main, a more tolerant German Imperial city. There, he and his brother ran a flourishing workshop. He died in Frankfurt in January 1612.

We are grateful to Dr. Alexander Wied for endorsing the attribution to Marten van Valckenborch, based on photographs. 

1. see See A. Wied, Lucas und Marten van Valckenborch.  Das Gesamtwerk mit Kritischem Oevrekatalog, Freren 1990, pp. 251-9, cat. nos. 11-21.