Jan van Kessel d. Ä., 1626 Antwerpen – 1679 e... Lot n° 332

DEPICTION OF THE VIRGIN WITH FLOWER FRAME Oil on wood. 64.2 x 43.9 cm. Accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen, 22.3.2021, copy. This type of painting is - as so often in the circle of the masters Jan Brueghel, Rubens or Daniel Seghers - a collaboration between two specialized painters. The central cartouche, painted here with a dark scrollwork frame, is framed by floral arrangements by the hand of Jan van Kessel the Elder. The central image shows a youthful Mary with child and the boy John. The style here points to a master of the Rubens succession. The flowers surrounding this cartouche are intended as homage to Mary, as was so often the case in pictorial themes such as Mary in the Rosary in this period between 1648 and 1672 (dated examples), a reminiscence of the theme of the Madonna of the Rosary. Large, full rose blossoms and the tulips so popular at the time alternate here with small spring flowers, all against a black background that brings the colors to life. Jan van Kessel was the grandson of Jan Brueghel the Elder and the nephew of Jan Brueghel the Younger, which explains his interest in this genre of painting. In the accompanying expert opinion, the painting is dated to the late 1650s. Literature: See Klaus Ertz, Christa Nitze-Ertz, Jan van Kessel the Elder, the Younger, the "Other", Kritische Kataloge der Gemälde, Flämische Maler im Umkreis der großen Meister, vol. 8, Lingen 2012. (14009415) (11) Jan van Kessel the Elder, 1626 Antwerp - 1679 ibid. DEPICTION OF SAINT MARY THE VIRGIN IN FLORAL WREATH Oil on panel. 64.2 x 43.9 cm. Accompanied by an expert's report by Dr Klaus Ertz, Lingen, 22 March 2021, in copy.