Lot 78: Jacques des Rousseaux (Tourcoing circa 1600-1638 Leiden) An elderly bearded man in prayer

An elderly bearded man in prayer
signed with initials and dated 'JR 1631' (lower left)
oil on panel
66.4 x 51.5cm (26 1/8 x 20 1/4in).

PROVENANCE:
Private Swiss Collection
Thence by descent to the present owner

LITERATURE:
W. Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, (Landau, 1983), vol.IV, p. 2506, cat.no. 1676, illus. p. 2512

A second version of the present composition, signed and dated 1632, was offered by Sotheby's London on 10 July 2008, lot 207. Given that the current picture is dated 1631, a year earlier than the Sotheby's work, it is reasonable to consider it as the prime version of this composition and also that it is the one referred to by Sumowski (in which he states that it is dated 1631).

The model in this painting is one used on several occasions by Rousseaux as studies for religious figures in other works. It comes from an early stage in his career, just a year after establishing himself as an independent artist, at which point his style comes very close to early works by Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607-1674 Amsterdam); so much so that at one point Gerson attributed the present work to Lievens.