FLEMISH MASTER
ca. 1600
Holy Family.
Oil on wood.
65;5 x 51;5cm.
Frame/Pedestal: Framed.
Provenance:
Private ownership; Germany.

The composition of the present panel goes back to a work by the Flemish artist Gerard David (ca. 1460 - 1523); which is lost today. It is known from a drawing in the Vienna Albertina; which in turn served as the model for a small series of different versions.
Catheline P閞ier-D'Ieteren mentions "Dal Ritrovamento all'Indagine. Due Sacre Famiglie di ambito fiammingo a confronto: storia; iconografia; restauro" (2008) as well as in the revue Belge d'Arch閛logie et d'Histoire de l'Art a total of five known versions: in addition to the Viennese drawing; two works in museums in Genoa and two additional versions; one in the Haggerty Museof Art in Milwaukee; another in private ownership; which was exhibited in Bruges in 1902 and was offered for sale at Christie's in 2006.
What they all have in common is the composition of the image with a central Madonna and Child on her lap; and architecture in the background. In the left-hand area; the carpenter Joseph is always seen in a passageway; in contrast to the versions quoted; Joseph appears in this panel against a landscape background rather than a city view. Stylistically; the panel was probably created somewhat later; so that the scope for variation is explained here.

Cf. Literature:
C. P閞ier-D'Ieteren: Production d'Atelier et Exportation. Cinq Versions de Sainte Famille de l'Entourage de G閞ard David. In: Revue Belge d'Arch閛logie et d'Histoire de l'Art LXXVII; Brussels 2008; p. 27ff;
C. P閞ier-D'Ieteren: Sainte Famille; Etourage de G閞ard David - Prototype et Variantes. In: exhib. cat. "Dal Ritrovamento all'Indagine. Due Sacre Famiglie di ambito fiammingo a confronto: storia; iconografia; restauro"; Museo Diocesano; Genoa 2008; p. 9ff.

We are grateful to Peter van den Brink; Aachen; and Catheline P閞ier-D'Ieteren; Brussels; for their kind support in cataloguing the present work.