Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are delighted to offer for sale this rather unique item, which is a carved oak framed photolithographical copy of the Dresden Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck, who painted it in 1427 and is currently in the Old Master Gallery in Dresden (Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister). We list below a short history of the work courtesy of Wikipedia, but there is a great deal more imformation and coloured pictures of the original, on their site, if you simply google Dresden altarpiece.

'The Dresden Triptych (or Virgin and Child with St. Michael and St. Catherine and a Donor, or Triptych of the Virgin and Child) is a very small hinged-triptych altarpiece by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck. It consists of five individual panel paintings: a central inner panel, and two double-sided wings. It is signed and dated 1437, and in the permanent collection of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, with the panels still in their original frames. The only extant triptych attributed to van Eyck, and the only non-portrait signed with his personal motto, ALC IXH XAN ("I Do as I Can"). The triptych can be placed at the midpoint of his known works. It echoes a number of the motifs of his earlier works while marking an advancement in his ability in handling depth of space, and establishes iconographic elements of Marian portraiture that were to become widespread by the latter half of the 15th century. Elisabeth Dhanens describes it as "the most charming, delicate and appealing work by Jan van Eyck that has survived".

The paintings on the two outer wings become visible when the triptych is closed. They show the Virgin Mary and Archangel Gabriel in an Annunciation scene painted in grisaille, which because of their near-monochrome colouring give the impression that the figures are sculpted. The three inner panels are set in an ecclesiastical interior. In the central inner panel Mary is seated and holds the Christ Child on her lap. On the left hand wing Archangel Michael presents a kneeling donor, while on the right St. Catherine of Alexandria stands reading a prayer book. The interior panels are outlined with two layers of painted bronze frames, inscribed with mostly Latin lettering. The texts are drawn from a variety of sources, in the central frames from biblical descriptions of the assumption, while the inner wings are lined with fragments of prayers dedicated to saints Michael and Catherine.

The work may have been intended for private devotion, perhaps as a portable altarpiece for a migrant cleric. That the frames are so richly decorated with Latin inscriptions indicates that the donor, whose identity is lost, was highly educated and cultured. Because of a lack of surviving documentary evidence on commissions of 15th century-Northern painting, the identities of donors are often established through evidence gathered by modern art historians. In this work, damaged coats of arms on the borders of the interior wings have been identified with the Giustiniani of Genoa – an influential albergo active from 1362 – who established trade links with Bruges as early as the mid-14th century.'

We have been in touch with the Medici Society, to see if they have any more information on the item, as we have been unable to find any others, and have been told that not only did they buy in prints, as well as printing their own, but that they also had a framers, so it is possible that they also made the frame. As the altarpiece bears two Medici labels that give an address in London W, and as the Company started trading in 1908 and the London postcodes included numbers after 1917, we are dating the altarpiec to between these dates. We gave them the code Flem 22, which appears on the label, which they confirmed is one of their codes, so we hope to hear some information at some stage in the future, although their archive is in store, so it may be a long process.

As far as we are aware, the frame, glass and backing board is all original and intact, so we had to photograph it through the glass, so have done our best with the photos. As the altarpiece was produced by photolithography, the print includes the frame on the original, which has then been framed in a 1" (2.5cm) carved oak frame, therefore it is only slightly larger than the original. Although it stands perfectly on a table, it could also be hung in its full length on the wall, should the buyer so wish.

Large panel size: 15 3/8" - 39cm High x 15 1/2" - 39.3cm including hinges

Full length extended: 45 1/8" - 114.6cm

Condition: Original condition with minimal wear to the front edge of the oak frame. There is no foxing or loss of colour to the prints. The hinges are original and in full working order.