Workshop of Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder

Monsignor Joseph Canon Burke JCL (1854-1923);
St. Bede's College, Manchester;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 26 April 2007, lot 12;
There acquired by the present collector.

C. Grössinger, North-European Panel Paintings, London 1992, p. 158, cat. no. 41, reproduced figs. 145 and 147.

The two wing panels are set into their frames and have a very slight convex bow. The central panel is visible on the reverse and is made up of two vertical planks: these are perfectly flat and uncradled but are coming apart at the vertical join in the centre. To the naked eye the side panels appear to be quite well preserved, with only slight wear on the Virgin's blue robe and beside the shepherd's leg in the left panel, and on the Christ child in the right panel. The central panel is less well preserved and has suffered flaking in the past.There is some lifting in the architecture in the upper section of the left hand wing along the wood grain. Paint is lifting in some areas and is in need of stabilisation and some old losses have been crudely filled in (these are concentrated principally on Joseph's robe lower left and the Virgin's lower right). Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals very minor retouchings in the outer wings (for example, on the Christ child and Virgin's blue robe in the left wing, and the Christ child and Virgin's right knee in the right wing). Restoration is visible in the central panel along a vertical line running through the Virgin's left shoulder. Further old crude retouchings are visible on her drapery lower right and lower centre, as well as in an area beneath Joseph's hands. A loss occurs just left of Joseph's head, a retouching is visible on his forehead, and further retouchings are visible in the background, particularly upper centre. The figures are on the whole quite well preserved; their flesh tones and details such as the plate of fruit do not appear to have suffered from wear. The painting is dirty and the varnish layer is uneven: it would greatly improve through restoration and cleaning. The plain black-and-gold-painted wooden frame is modern and has some chips and damages but is structurally sound.
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.

Although set in different backgrounds, the figures in the central panel of this triptych relate to a near identical composition attributed to Pieter Coecke van Aelst and documented in the Brussels collection of Dr. Simon.¹  The scenes on the triptych wings can also be found elsewhere, including on triptychs in England, Downside Abbey, and Valencia, Museo de Bellas Artes San Pio V.²

1. See G. Marlier, Pierre Coeck D'Alost, Brussels 1966, p. 227, reproduced fig. 163.
2. See C. Grössinger, under Literature, pp. 92-3, cat. no. 18, reproduced fig. 62, and p. 156, reproduced fig. 146.