Vincent Sellaer
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Caritas, Allegory of Charity
Relined canvas 147 x 110 cm.
Provenance
Bukowski Auktioner, auction 356, Oct 26-29 1955, lot no 115. (As a work by Hendrik Goltzius, in the manner of).
Formerly in the coll of Rolf Backlund, Stockholm.
Private Collection, Stockholm.
More information
Vincent Sellaer was a Flemish painter active in Mechelen. His style is characterized by an ability to seamlessy combine northern and Italian sources and create paintings notable for their strenght and monumentality. He painted several differnt versions of "Charity", the most famous in the Prado Museum, Madrid. In the painting at Prado, Charity is shown as a standig full length figure with two infant boys, one of whom is nursing her breast.
The composition at this auction is very similar to a painting sold at Sothebys in June 2008. (Sotheby's New York June 5 2008, lot no 18. Panel 96 x 76 cm) That composition was sold as a work by Vincent Sellaer, but it is probably a copy after a drawing by Vincent Sellaer kept in the Louvre, Paris. (Inv no 2806)
The present "Caritas" is quite similar and clearly derives from the same composition, although its source might well be a print showing the same modifications. Charitas is a monumental seated woman flanked by five naked children.
Bukowskis are gratefull to Suzanne Laemers, Curator Early Netherlandish Painting at RKD, The Hague for the information about this lot.