Erasmus Quellinus II (Antwerp 1607 - 1672)
Vanitas (as an allegory of the vanity of life or youth)
Oil on canvas - cm. 121 x 84, framed cm. 135 x 98
The work is accompanied by an in-depth study written by Prof. Emilio Negro, of which we present some excerpts.
- COMPLETE DETAILS CAN BE CONSULTED DIRECTLY AT THE FOLLOWING - LINK -
The theme of the painting we propose is a singular and rare "Vanitas", a subject of strong moral value which, in the pictorial field, refers to a composition with symbolic elements alluding to the theme of the transience of life, and therefore intended to encourage the viewer to meditate on the transience of human destiny and on the fragility of worldly pleasures.
These subjects, which were particularly successful in the Flemish area, are works of great charm, interesting to study and often difficult to decipher; the protagonist of our canvas is a capricious cherub, sitting on a sarcophagus, a sort of anthropomorphic Carpe Diem (seize the fleeting instant) pictorial, which invites us to meditate on the fleeting nature of life and to enjoy the moments of happiness granted by it; without caring about the alternating fortunes of fate, symbolized by the putto's foot stepping on gold coins, precious fabric, scepter, ermine stole, skull, hunting horn and books.
Next to him is a still life of colorful flowers, collected in a crystal vase, whose presence takes on a clear allegorical meaning, since they constitute the metaphor of the transience of youthful beauty which, like fresh flowers, is destined to wither.
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Regarding the pictorial origin of the composition in question, it should be noted first of all that it is an interesting replica, with some modifications, of a work executed by Erasmus Quellinus the Younger (the figure of the putto) and Daniel Seghers (the still life).
A version entitled 'Allegory of the passage of Youth' is also known from the same composition, which passed from Sotheby's in Amsterdam as Cornelis Schut and Daniël Seghers (12.12.1991, Old master Paintings and Drawings, lot 218, Price €16,630, then sold in London as Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert (Sotheby's 16.12.1999, lot 59, Hammer price: €126,592 / £80,000).
Here is the link of the painting: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/record?filters%5Bkunstenaar%5D=Willeboirts+Bosschaert%2C+Thomas&...
And again the Vanity attributed to Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert and passed in Vienna by Dorotheum (17/10/2007, and estimated: 18.000-24.000 €, link: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/thomas-willeboirts-bosschaert-bergen-op-zoom-1613-228-c-ms7xg...#
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These reasons allow us to connect this Vanitas to the modus operandi of the aforementioned Erasmus Quellinus the Younger (Antwerp, 1607-1678), one of Rubens' closest collaborators in the 1630s, here assisted by the intervention of a valid collaborator trained within from his active workshop. Descendant of a renowned family of artists (since his father was the painter Erasmus Quellinus the Elder) Erasamus Quellinus II worked mainly in Flanders where his activity is evidenced by the numerous compositions similar to ours, attributed to him and kept in the most important public and private collections. Furthermore, he was at the head of a successful atelier in which numerous students were trained, including his sons and nephews. It is true that in the canvas in question, credibly intended to adorn the walls of a noble residence of a collector, scholar or humanist, an accurate painting emerges, especially in the insistent search for details, in warm colors, which are specific qualities of the best works performed by Erasmus.
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The work, like all our objects, is sold with a photographic certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law.
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