Lot 134
  • 134

SEBASTIAEN VRANCX | Church interior, with figures performing the work of charity, burying the dead

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
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Description

  • Church interior, with figures performing the work of charity, burying the dead
  • oil on oak panel
  • 64.9 x 49.1 cm.; 25 1/2  x 19 3/8  in.

Provenance

Mrs Löwenthal, Amsterdam (b. 1875);
Confiscated from the above by Lippmann, Rosenthal & Co., Amsterdam after May 1940;
Sold to Dr. Hans Schröder, Director of the Museum St. Annen, Lübeck in 1943 (inv. no. 1943–37; as manner of Hendrick van Steenwijk);
Returned by the above to the Netherlands in 1947;
Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit, The Hague (inv. no. 1478);
Restituted to the descendants of Mrs. Löwenthal (Eric and Else Wolffenstein) circa 1950;
By descent to the present owner.

Exhibited

London, Alfred Brod Gallery, Autumn exhibition of paintings by old Dutch & Flemish masters, 15 October - 14 November 1959, no. 33 (as Steenwijk; signed and dated: H v S 1575, and measuring 20 1/8  x 27 1/4  in.; when reviewed and illustrated in The Daily Telegraph, 15 October 1959).

Condition

The panel is cradled, flat and stable. The paint surface is relatively clean and the varnish discoloured. Spot retouchings are visible throughout (see catalogue illustration), with more concentrated areas in the cassocks of the priest and altar boy lower centre, in the stained glass upper left, along all four margins, in the vaulting upper centre, and in the background seen through the arch, lower left. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a thick, milky varnish underneath which these are visible, but no other intervention is apparent. In overall fair condition. Offered in a carved and gilt wood frame with losses to the lower left and upper right corners.
"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."