Lot 120
  • 120

Circle of Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
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Description

  • Sir Peter Paul Rubens
  • Portrait of a young man, head and shoulders
  • inscribed upper right:  ANo 16 / AETATIS. / .20[?]. (ANo in ligature)
  • oil on oak panel

Provenance

The Grand Dukes of Tuscany, their seal on the reverse as used between 1737 and 1860, incorporating the arms of the Order of St. Stephen of Tuscany;
Austrian Imperial collections, their seal on the reverse, first half of the 19th century;
Comte De Cornelissen, Brussels;
His sale, Brussels, Galerie Saint-Luc, 31 March – 1 April 1891, lot 78, for 210 francs (as after Van Dyck);
M. Henry Hymans, Brussels, by 1907;
Gustaf Robert Paalen, Schloss St. Rochusberg, Sagan, Silesia, by 1922;
Carl Robert Lamm (1856–1938), Näsby Castle, near Stockholm, by 1923;
His sale, New York, American Art Association, 21–24 February 1923, lot 615, for $4,100, to E.F. Suenson;
With Wieberg, Stockholm, 1947.

Literature

R. Vischer, Peter Paul Rubens, Berlin 1904, p. 61;
F.M. Haberditzl, 'Die Lehrer des Rubens', in Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhaus, vol. 27, no. 1, 1907, pp. 216–17, reproduced p. 214, fig. 43 (as a Rubens self-portrait);
E. Verhaeren, Rubens, Leipzig 1920, p. 80, cat. no. 45, reproduced fig. 45 (as a Rubens self-portrait);
R. Oldenbourg, Rubens, Munich 1922, pp. 137–38, reproduced p. 139, fig. 79 (as Rubens).

Condition

The panel is made up of three vertical planks, one of which was probably formed by an old split; the two joins are cradled with small batons. The panel is flat and stable, as is the paint surface and the varnish is slightly uneven. There is a line of retouching along the join on the left-hand side, running the length of the panel, and there are some other small discoloured retouchings in the sitter's ruff and face. The varnish fluoresces opaquely under ultraviolet light, making it difficult to discern any additional restoration, although there would appear to be an old patch of retouching in the sitter's forehead and hair. Offered in a carved and incised gilt wood 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."