The Preaching of Saint John the Baptist
Original Oil Painting on Canvas
circle of Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610)
- With old handwritten label verso inscribed with the artist's name and dates.
- The composition of the present lot is closely related to Elsheimer's original of c.1602 in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich.
- Painting - 58cm (23") x 71cm (28")
- Frame - 76cm (30") x 91.5cm (36")
Lot Notes
An extremely fine early 17th century oil painting on canvas depicting Saint John the Baptist preaching from the circle of Adam Elsheimer - possibly an Elsheimer studio work. The composition of the present lot is closely related to Elsheimer's original of c.1602 in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich with several of the figures common to both paintings though with extensive variations to the main figure group and with an original background - possibly an Elsheimer studio work. The stretcher bears an old handwritten label verso attributing the painting to Elsheimer.
Condition
The canvas lined in the mid 20th century and without subsequent tears or repairs. Examination under ultra violet reveals scattered strengthening and touching in though apparently free of extensive damage or restoration. There is fine craquelure throughout and with a couple of areas of very minor paint loss though with the medium generally stable and intact. Cleaned and re-varnished presumably at the time of the lining and remaining most attractive and ready to hang. Presented in a mid 20th century Italian wood and gilt composite frame, the frame with minor imperfections as photographed.
Artist Information
Adam Elsheimer was a German artist working in Rome who died at only thirty-two, but was very influential in the early 17th century. His relatively few paintings were small scale, nearly all painted on copper plates, of the type often known as cabinet paintings. They include a variety of light effects, and an innovative treatment of landscape. He was an influence on many other artists, including Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens. Elsheimer was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, one of ten children and the son of a master-tailor. His father's house (which survived until destroyed by Allied bombs in 1944) was a few metres from the church where Albrecht Dürer's Heller Altarpiece was then displayed. He was apprenticed to the artist Philipp Uffenbach. He probably visited Strasbourg in 1596. At the age of twenty, he travelled to Italy via Munich, where he is documented in 1598. His stay in Venice is undocumented, but the influence on his style is clear. He probably worked as an assistant to Johann Rottenhammer, some of whose drawings he owned. Rottenhammer was a German who had been living in Italy for some years, and was the first German painter to specialize in cabinet paintings. Uffenbach had specialized in large altarpieces, and although Elsheimer's earliest small paintings on copper seem to date from before he arrived in Italy, Rottenhammer's influence is clear on his mature work. Elsheimer is believed to have produced some significant works in Venice, such as The Baptism of Christ (National Gallery, London) and The Holy Family (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin) which show the influence of the Venetian painters Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese, as well as Rottenhammer.
General Information
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Art has long been regarded as a strong and safe investment. Ellen Kelleher a personal finance reporter for The Financial Times recently wrote an article recommending art, particularly in the $500 - $50,000 range as a sound long term investment with an impressive current average annual increase of 9.7 percent. See Hang your investments on the wall by Ellen Kelleher Published October 22 2010 by the Financial Times.
About Us
Priory Fine Art specialises in high quality 17th - 20th Century British and European Fine Art. Our team have a combined experience of over 80 years in the field of fine art and have together handled the sale of many millions of pounds worth of art. As well as our own team of specialists we have close contacts from the leading auction houses who often assist us with particular pieces.
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Certificate of Authenticity
Every item we sell is fully guaranteed to be as described and a signed photo certificate is issued with every painting. We use the same cataloguing terms as most major auction houses, the terms that appear in the listing are also used on the certificates of authenticity. The cataloguing terms that we use have the following meanings;
- where the bold coloured text which forms the listing's heading reads 'by' and is followed by the artist's full name (or the artist's initials, if his full name is unrecorded), the work is in our opinion by the artist;
- where the expression "attributed to" is used, the work is in our opinion possibly a work by the artist, in whole or in part;
- where the expression 'circle of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing his influence;
- where the expression 'follower of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but not necessarily by a pupil;
- where the expression 'manner of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but of a later date;
- where the term "after" is used, the work is in our opinion a copy or pastiche (of any date) of a work by the artist. Where the term 'signed...' is used in our opinion the work has been signed by the artist, where the term 'with signature...' or 'bears signature...' is used in our opinion the signature is by a hand other than that of the artist.
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