Items Similar to Christ and St John the Baptist as children, studio of J. van Cleve, 16th Flemish
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10
Christ and St John the Baptist as children, studio of J. van Cleve, 16th Flemish
About the Item
Christ and St John the Baptist embracing
Studio of Joos van Cleve (1485 – 1541), Antwerp
First half of 16th century
Oil on oak panel, h. 55 cm, w. 43 cm
A 17th century ebonized wood frame
Framed: h. 100 cm, w. 83 cm
Provenance:
• Advertisement in Burlington Magazine, 1929, at the antique dealer Paul Larsen, 34 Duke's Street, London, United Kingdom
• Clowes Sale, Christie's London, 7 July 1950, lot 153 (as Joos Van Cleve)
• Acquired from the Katz antique dealers in Dieren (Netherlands) in the 1950s (one of the most important art galleries in the Netherlands specialising in Old Masters)
• By descent, private European collection
The composition of our painting depicting two naked babies embracing, Jesus and Saint John the Baptist, draws its source from a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, probably executed in Milan around 1490 (kept at Windsor Castle, United Kingdom).
This scheme, widespread early in the Lombard school, was widely reproduced by Leonardo's Milanese followers (Marco d'Oggiono, Bernardino de Conti or Bernardino Luini.)
It is very likely that Joos Van Cleve was inspired by one of the works of his artists during his stay in Italy, however some historians hypothesize that he borrowed the figures from the painting by Marco d'Oggiono who had copied it on site in Flanders (it would have belonged to Margaret of Austria).
This pronounced Leonardo influence is characteristic of the works of Joos Van Cleve. The gentleness borrowed from the master is revealed in our painting in the embrace of two protagonists with angelic faces, the absence of the Virgin, a sacred and maternal figure, of halos or attributes, makes this moment of tenderness all the more enchanting as it is difficult to recognize a religious subject.
Yet placed in a northern rural landscape, the scene evokes the meeting of Jesus and Saint John the Baptist during the return of the holy family from Egypt. It is accepted that the child on the right would be Saint John, being the oldest and therefore taller.
This embrace between Jesus and John can be a very original representation of the union of the Old and New Testaments. Indeed, Saint John the Baptist is considered the last prophet of the Old Testament, while Jesus is announced by all the previous prophets and recognized as the ultimate Revelation.
A work by Joos Van Cleve in a private collection in Antwerp has so many similarities with the work of d'Oggiono that some historians consider it to be one of the first in the series of variants and versions that the master produced in his studio.
In his study published in 1934, MJ Friedländer clearly expresses the opinion that this subject was repeated on several occasions in the painter's studio. Initially, Van Cleve himself conceived the initial composition project and carried out the preparatory drawing as well as the pictorial execution. Subsequently, and depending on the importance of the commissions, he either produced the main elements or not, leaving the completion of the secondary parts to his collaborators.
These different versions are distinguished by the addition of decorative elements: the presence of an architectural frame, curtains, cushions or canopies, platforms, as well as varied landscapes.
In our work, the children are placed on the ground, as in Marco d'Oggiono, among rocks and vegetation while the medieval castle stands behind them and a small town appears on the horizon surrounded by a wall and animated by church spires.
An apple is placed in the foreground, alluding to original sin and the mission of Jesus as the future Redeemer.
This fruit, the only one to attest to the holiness of this intimate scene which transcribes the sweetness of childhood, was undoubtedly added at the request of the person who commissioned the painting.
Related works:
• Joos Van Cleve, circa 1515, oil on panel, h. 104 cm, l. 74 cm, Antwerp, private collection (published p. 79*)
• Joos Van Cleve, circa 1515-1520, oil on panel, h. 75 cm, l. 58 cm, Art Institute of Chicago, United States (inv. 1975.136)
• Joos Van Cleve, circa 1515-1520, oil on panel, h. 72.5 cm, l. 54 cm, Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium
• Workshop of Joos Van Cleve, circa 1515-1520, oil on panel, h. 25.4 cm, l. 25.1 cm, Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Aachen, inv. GK 1616
• Workshop of Joos Van Cleve, 1525-1530, oil on panel, h. 39 cm, w. 58 cm, St. Catherine's Convent Museum (Catarijnconvent), Utrecht, Netherlands, inv. RMCC s337
• Marco d'Oggiono around 1500, oil on panel, h. 64.5 cm, w. 48.1 cm, Kensington Palace, Royal Collection, London, United Kingdom, inv. 405463
* Bibliography: Joos van Cleve: a sixteenth-century Antwerp artist and his workshop, Leeflang, Micha. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers; 2015
- Attributed to:Joos van Cleve (1475 - 1541, Dutch)
- Dimensions:Height: 39.4 in (100.08 cm)Width: 32.67 in (82.99 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:PARIS, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2433215743972
About the Seller
No Reviews Yet
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
1stDibs seller since 2023
15 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 1 to 2 days
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: PARIS, France
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View All16th century Flemish, Holy Family, workshop of P. Coecke Van Aelst (1502-1550)
Located in PARIS, FR
Rest of the Holy Family during the Flight into Egypt
Workshop of Pieter Coecke Van Aelst (1502-1550)
16th century Flemish school
Oil on oak panel,
Dimensions : panel: h. 34.25 in., ...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
$18,595 Sale Price
20% Off
Cercle of Ambrosius Francken, Adoration of the shepherds, 17th century Antwerp
Located in PARIS, FR
Adoration of the shepherds,
Cercle of Ambrosius Francken,
Early 17th century Antwerp school
Oil on oak panel: h. 55 cm, w. 43 cm (21.65 in x 16.93 in)
17th c. ebonized and moulded f...
Category
Early 17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Crucifixion, Bruges school, Flemish, mid 16th century
Located in PARIS, FR
Crucifixion, cercle of Adriaen Isenbrandt, mid 16th century
School of Bruges, cercle of Adriaen Isenbrandt (actif 1510-1551)
Oil on oak panel with its original ebonized frame
Dimensi...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oak, Oil, Wood Panel
Hieronymus FRANCKEN III - The Denial of Saint Peter, 17th c. Antwerp school
Located in PARIS, FR
Hieronymus FRANCKEN III (Antwerp 1611 - 1671)
17th century Antwerp School
The Denial of Saint Peter
Oil on panel, dim. h. 53 cm, l. 76 cm
Framed, h. 82 cm, l. 106 cm
Sold with the ...
Category
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Saint Jerome, Antwerp, 16th century, circa 1550, cercle of Lambert Van Noort
Located in PARIS, FR
Saint Jerome in the desert
Cercle of Lambert Van Noort (1520-1571, Antwerp)
Antwerp School, mid-16th century
Oil on oak panel.
Dimensions: panel h. 69 cm (27.16 in), l. 52.5 cm (20.6...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
The Rape of Europa, signed Peter Sion (1624-1695), Antwerp, 17th century
Located in PARIS, FR
The Rape of Europa
By Peter Sion (Antwerp, 1624-1695)
Signed in the lower right corner P. Sion
17th century Antwerp School
Oil on copper, dim. h. 53 cm, w. 45 cm
Moulded and ebonized...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oak, Oil, Wood Panel
You May Also Like
Singer by Candlelight (Dutch School Old Master Genre Scene)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful Dutch School painting dating from 17th century. Oil on wood panel measuring 10 3/8 x 14 7/16 inches. Unsigned. No inpainting or conservation.
Depicted is a scene with a beautiful young woman singing...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
16th Century by Venetian Maestro Deposition of Christ Oil on Panel
Located in Milano, Lombardia
16th Century Venetian Maestro
Title: Deposition of Christ
Medium: Oil on panel
Dimensions:without frame 40 x 25 cm
Formerly Canesso Collection, Paris.
Fairs: The International Biennial of Antiques in Florence 2022 (BIAF, Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze)
Publications: Bozzetti, modelletti, sketches: dalla collezione di Giorgio Baratti (From the Giorgio Baratti Collection) curated by Anna Orlando, Agnese Marengo and Annalisa Scarpa, Genoa, 2022, pp. 22, 23.
In this precious panel we can admire a lament over the body of Christ by a large group of bystanders among whom we can recognise the Virgin and, in the foreground, St Catherine of Alexandria...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
19th century classical religious oil painting portrait female subject red dark
By Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Caterina d'Alexandria (Saint Catherine of Alexandria)" is a copy oil painting on wood panel, after Italian artist Giampietrino (Giovanni Pietro Riz...
Category
19th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Old master painting of Cherubs cavorting in a woodland setting
By Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Located in Harkstead, GB
A charming image of cherubs cavorting with sheaths of wheat in a woodland setting.
Follower of Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Cherubs cavorting before a tree
Oil on panel
10¾ x 14 inches exc...
Category
Early 19th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,743 Sale Price
21% Off
Bedouin at Prayer, Orientalist Oil Painting on Panel by Rudolf Ernst
By Rudolf Ernst
Located in Long Island City, NY
This painting by Orientalist artist Rudolf Ernst depicts a Muslim man in quiet contemplation during prayer. He kneels in solitude in the vast desert as the light fades around him. Ma...
Category
1890s Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
17th century Flemish school, Madonna with child and red Drapery. Oil/wood
Located in Firenze, IT
Madonna with Child and Red Drapery, Flemish School, Oil on Oak Panel, 17th Century
Flemish School, 17th century
Technique: oil on oak panel with 4 crossbars
Dimensions: Height: 43...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wood, Oil, Wood Panel, Board
$1,632 Sale Price
20% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Old Wood Studios
Milanese Art
Studio 54 Art
1500 L
16th Century Italian Art
Netherlands 16th Century
Old Master 16th Century
Antique Medieval Art
Naked Person
Jesus Christ Art
Italian Paintings 16th Century
16th Saint
16th Century Italian Wood
Austrian Royal Collection
Original Painting Christ
Medieval Panel
John The Baptist
Milanese Painting