Lot 153: s *CRISPIJN VAN DEN BROECK (1524-1588)

signed with monogram and dated lower center 15 CVB (in ligature) 73 oil on panel Painter, draughtsman and engraver, Crispijn Van den Broeck was probably first trained by his father, Jan Van den Broeck, in his native town of Mechelen. He moved to Antwerp in 1557 and was by 1555 already registered as a master in the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp. He continued his training in the studio of Frans Floris (1516-1570). Both Floris and van den Broeck were members of the Romanist brotherhood. The Romanists played a major role in establishing the Italian Renaissance style in the Low Countries. They were influenced by Italian artists such as Michelengelo (for his work in the Sistine Chapel), Raphael, Giulio Romano, Polidoro da Caravaggio and Perino del Vaga. Although Van den Broeck was a member of the brotherhood it was never proved that he made the required trip to Rome. In the present painting the artist presents a strong and clear composition with marvelous attention to detail. The Italian influence in the representation of human anatomy and the strong narrative quality of the composition are clearly visible. Three paintings of the same subject are known, one was executed in 1560,the second dated 1571 (Museé des Beaux-Arts, Antwerp) and the last one, in Bern, was executed in 1575. These three pictures and the present painting are very similar in composition; however, there are some noticeable differences in the detail and in the variety of figural poses. In the present composition Christ is holding himself upright surrounded by the tetramorph, biblical being, it was described by Ezekiel as having the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox and the face of an eagle, it is the union of the four attributes of the Evangelists in one figure. The use of such elements demonstrates the artist's ability to recreate and reuse the subject matter in an original and intelligent way.

Sale: Phillip's, London, July 6, 1999, lot 71, there purchased for £99,000 ($145,530)