16th Century Flemish School
Diptych of Salvator Mundi and the Virgin in Prayer
Price on request.
Anonymous
16th Century Flemish School
Diptych of Salvator Mundi and the Virgin in Prayer
Oil on panel
As is often the case in early Flemish depictions of Christ as the Saviour of the World, Salvator Mundi is paired with a Virgin in Prayer, a tradition which has its origins in Byzantine art. The composition for these panels derives from an example by Quentin Massys (1466-1530) at the Koninklijk Museum, Antwerp. There are several variants of these subjects, which were very popular with Massys' contemporaries, including Joos van Cleve (1485-1541) and Gerard David (1460-1523). The compositions as they appear here were also used in Massys’ studio and by his closest followers. An example can be found in the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh (attributed to Quentin Massys and workshop). The work presented here can closely be put in relation to some homonymous examples of van Cleve, such as those preserved in the Louvre Museum and the Dulwich Gallery. Furthermore, The Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp, holds a similar depiction of Salvator Mundi which is attributed to the studio responses to Jan van Eyck’s (1394-1441) Vera Icon, dated to have been done in the late 15th Century.
The figures are set against black backgrounds. The Virgin wears a jewelled crown and a dark green dress, with her hands pressed together in prayer, inclining her head towards Christ. The bust-length figure of Christ is presented frontally and hieratically as saviour. His visage is serene and impassive as he raises his proper right hand in blessing and holds a globe surmounted by a cross. Equally resplendent is the jewelled brooch fastened to his red robe.
Provenance:
José Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid;
Private collection, Spain
Literature:
La colección Lázaro de Madrid: Volumen 2, Madrid, La España Moderna, 1927, p. 238-239 (illustrated in black and white).
Dimensions:
Oil: 11cm x 7.5cm (each)
Frame: 16cm x 12cm (each)