Lot 2: Attributed to Jacob van Oost , Bruges 1601-1671 The Madonna at Prayer oil on canvas, unlined

oil on canvas, unlined

measurements note 56.3 by 48.4 cm.; 22 1/8 by 19 in.

Van Oost was a prolific artist, producing mainly Counter-Reformation altarpieces for the numerous churches and monasteries in and around Bruges. The five years he spent in Rome in the 1620s, during which time he assisted in the workshop of Annibale Carracci, had a lasting impact on his style. He was named official painter of the city of Bruges in 1651, a position he held until his death.

The head of the Madonna in the present work can be compared to the artist's treatment of Our Lady in the altarpiece of the Adoration of the Shepherds in the Church of Saint Salvator in Bruges (see J. L. Meulemeester, Jacob van Oost de Oudere en het zeventiende-eeuwse Brugge, Bruges 1984, p. 157, cat. no 131, reproduced in colour).