Lot 142: The Seven Acts of Mercy

Hieronymus Francken II (Antwerp 1578-1628)
The Seven Acts of Mercy
signed and dated 'Jeronimus Francken.fecit. Ao 1627' (lower right)
oil on panel
51 x 66½ in. (129.5 x 168.9 cm.)

Mrs D. Clarke, Nottinghamshire; Christie's, London, 27 May 1960, lot 100, as Jan de Bray (152 gns. to Deant).

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

We are grateful to Dr Ursula Härting, who on the basis of photographs confirms the attribution of this picture, describing it as a 'fascinating' and 'very important' work by the artist (private communication, 20 May 2008), who was the son of Frans Francken I (1542-1616) and brother of Frans II (1581-1642). The subject was a popular one at the time: Härting lists eight treatments of it by Frans II, in which various elements of the present work can be seen, perhaps the closest in composition being that signed and dated 1617, now in the Kunstmuseum, Basel (Frans Francken der Jüngere, II, Freren, 1989).