Lot 218: A winter landscape with the Flight into Egypt

Denijs van Alsloot (Brussels before 1573-1625/6)
A winter landscape with the Flight into Egypt
oil on copper
14¼ x 20½ in. (36.2 x 52 cm.)

Mrs Ryder, Leeds; Christie's, London, 27 April 1928, lot 137, as Breughel (38 gns. to Stenman).
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 9 April 1986, lot 41, as Dirck van Alsloot.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 5 July 1989, lot 94.
with Galerie de Jonkheere, Paris, 1989, from whom acquired by the late husband of the present owner.

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
VAT rate of 17.5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.
Denijs van Alsloot's mature wooded landscapes were inspired by the scenery in and around the Forêt des Soignes, near Brussels, where he was employed from 1600 as court painted to Archduke Albert and Archduchess Isabella. Many contain actual views of the abbeys of Cambrai and Groenendael, and the building seen in the distance of the present landscape closely resembles the latter (compare, for example, the Winter landscape with a view of the Abbey of Groenendael, sold Sotheby's, London, 4 July 2007, lot 23). Alsloot was particularly successful as a painter of snow scenes; the exquisite rendering of the pink evening sky and snow flecked trees in this work providing a good indication of his talent for rendering the atmosphere of a winter's day. A few other extant winter scenes include representations of the Flight into Egypt, amongst them, the picture sold Sotheby's, London, 8 December 2004, lot 13.