Georges Lallemand

Private Collection, The Netherlands;

Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Christie's, 10 May 2006, Lot 19 (as Circle of David Teniers I);

Private Collection, United States of America;

With Jack Kilgore, New York by 2008 (as Georges Lallemant);

From whom acquired by the late collector.

Georges Lallemand, also spelled Lallemand, was born in Nancy circa 1580. A native of Lorraine, he established himself in Paris in 1601, was naturalized there in 1616 and by 1626 had received the title of Peintre Ordinaire du Roi. Lallemand enjoyed a prolific career, receiving numerous commissions, religious and civil, both in Paris and the provinces. His studio was one of the busiest in the city: Laurent de La Hyre, Michel Dorigny, and Nicolas Poussin all received training there, and Philippe de Champaigne was involved in collaborative works with the artist. Towards the end of his life Lallemand was given the prestigious commission for two 'Mays' - the pictures presented annually by the Paris goldsmiths' guild to Notre Dame, Paris. The works entitled Saints Peter and Paul Healing the Lame Man and Saint Stephen at Prayer before Being Stoned are unfortunately now lost. Lallemant died in Paris in 1636. 

The present work entitled Ecce Homo, comes from (John 19:4-6) 'Behold the Man' - the words said by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea, to the Jewish crowd gathered outside the judgment hall, after Christ had been scourged and then mocked by the soldiers. 

The attribution to Georges Lallemant has been previously confirmed by Dr. Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann, Dr. Sylvain Kerspern, and Christopher Comer.