Master active in Bruges in the second third of... Lot 38

Master active in Bruges in the second third of the 16th century. "The Adoration of the Kings. Oil on panel. Engatillada. Frame ca. 1800. With export licence. With restoration work. Provenance: - Spanish noble collection. - Formerly Dukes Montpensier collection. - Formerly Louis Philippe de France collection, Château d'Eu. Measurements: 78.5 x 56 cm; 101.5 x 79 cm (frame). The late Gothic style, which in Flanders gave rise to a genuine "Flemish Gothic", still palpitates slightly in this painting, but at the same time the atmospheric work, the landscape sfumatto and the naturalism with which the characters have been resolved are fully Renaissance. Thus, the preciosist detail of miniature art (the legacy of the "Flemish primitives" such as Van der Weyden and Hans Memling) coexists with the advances of the painting of the 16th century (in which a certain Italian influence can be seen). The influence of Memling, especially the Triptych of the Magi in the Museo del Prado, is notable in some aspects: the manger in the form of Romanesque architecture in a semi-ruined state, and the sumptuous plasticity of the costumes: brooches with cabochons, gold brocade, vermilion velvet tunics.... But the primitive Flemish emphasis on drawing and stylisation of forms gave way to more nuanced chromatic shifts, which denote the Italian influence. The hair of a pubescent-faced virgin falls below her waist in silky golden ringlets. The angels' hair is also twisted into shiny, cottony curls. The architecture is more complex than its Gothic precedents. Different levels of depth develop between the arches and the porticoes are carved with sculptures worked in grisaille. The moss that covers its summits embellishes the ruins. The Infant Jesus is attended by the archangel Gabriel and two companions of the seraphic court. Saint Joseph remains in the background, as is usual in the iconography of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Kings. Several shepherds with expressive faces approach the main group, attracted by the sacred mystery. Iconographically, it does not correspond to the orthodoxy of the usual representation of the visit of the kings and shepherds, but the artist has deliberately allowed himself freedom in the composition of the scene. The landscape background and its subtle chromatic shifts from emerald green to the cerulean blue of the horizon are also noteworthy.