Featured Saint Francis of Assisi at the Foot of the Cross (after van Dyck)

As some people here I am more a book collector, but I have bought a small oval painting (31x23 cm / 12x9 inch) which I thought had a decent quality, that fits with my book collection. I don't know anything about paintings.

After a bit a research I think it is after a now missing painting of Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp 1599 - London 1641), painted at the end of the 1620's and depicts Saint Francis of Assisi at the foot of the Cross. A think my painting is from around 1700. No signature. The border (some kind of raisin) is partly missing.

What do you all think? Is it real? I paid 95 euro for it, because I really liked it, is that a good prize? Should I let it framed? Is it worth it?







Detail




This is a copy of the original at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

 

Yours is likely a copy as well

 

Yes probably a copy of a copy of a copy. That is why i called it ‘after’.

 

Yours does appear to be a painting. Being a copy makes it more difficult to date. What is it painted on? A wood panel? Plywood?

Interesting that this fragment shows a reverse composition:
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6313042

Reading the description on that lot says the only extant record of the original is a copy, most likely from a print, which leads to wondering how the color scheme was determined. Maybe the print was colored, or the copyist saw the original at some time, but only had the print as an aide-mémoire when time came to paint.

Personally, I think 95 euros is a very solid price.

 

Thank you for your answer!

Yes it is painted on a wooden panel, but I am not sure what kind of wood. It can be painted over a copper engraving for example, but I do not see any traces of that.

 

In the "lot essay" under the link that @moreotherstuff posted -- Christie's says that the fragment they were selling is thought to be a fragment of Van Dyck's original. They got at least one expert to agree, just looking at pictures.

So they are indicating that the reversal was the original orientation.

I am not going to copy the entire Lot Essay here. It is long enough to extend beyond "fair use," I believe.

 

Very nice find, EL, good price too, you did well.

(Even een tip, het engelse woord voor hars, kunsthars, enz wordt met re geschreven. Met rai is het een rozijntje.)

 

It's interesting that St. Francis is reversed, but Christ is not (notice the position of the feet and nail).

 

Je bent een vrijgevige en discrete ziel, AJ!