Lot 178: Manner of Abraham Van Dyck (Dutch, 1635/6-1672),

Manner of Abraham Van Dyck (Dutch, 1635/6-1672), mid to late 18th c., "St. Anthony of Padua", oil on canvas, unsigned, 30 in. x 28 3/4 in., in the original giltwood frame with cusped top.
PLEASE NOTE: A Dutch master strongly influenced by Rembrandt, who specialized in images of elderly sitters at prayer or in contemplation, Abraham Van Dyck seems to have influenced this somewhat later painting by a disciple or follower; the skull here bears clear affinities with that in Van Dyck's "Saint Jerome". The handling and the physiognomy also recall this artist's work, and make it plausible that this fine painting should be a slightly later work by a closely related hand. The beautifully shaped frame implies that the picture may have been made for a monastic or conventual setting