Beschreibung:

After Gérard SeghersChrist at the column
Oil on panel64,5 x 50 cm ; 25 ⅜ by 19 ¾ in.
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D'après Gérard SeghersLe Christ à la colonne
Huile sur panneau64,5 x 50 cm ; 25 ⅜ by 19 ¾ in.Condition reportFor further information on the condition of this lot please contact clemence.enriquez@sothebys.com
 Please note: Condition XVI of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot. (Veuillez noter que l'Article XVI des Conditions Générales de Vente applicables aux Vendeurs (Ventes Effectuées Exclusivement en Ligne) n'est pas applicable pour ce lot.)
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.Catalogue noteThis painting may be compared with Preparations for the Flagellation of Christ by Gerard Seghers Produced for the church of Saint-Michel de Gand, the composition was disseminated in an engraving by Lucas Vorsterman (ill. 1; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inv. RP-P-OB-33.014). The author of this painting was clearly inspired by the print: he has shown the same two torturers in the background, but above all he has reflected the composition’s theatricality, created through the play of shadow and light and given further emphasis by the tight framing. Christ’s pale, luminous flesh tones contrast with the brown background as well as with the ruddier complexions of the torturers, giving the divine figure a monumental quality.
However, this is not an exact copy: the movement of Christ’s torso recalls the Flagellation of Christ by Caravaggio, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen (inv. 955.8.1). This exaggerated torsion also adds to the power of the composition, reinforcing its dramatic character.
Skilfully combining Flemish tradition with the Italian manner, the present painting attests to the wealth of artistic exchanges and the spread of Caravaggesque models in Flanders during the seventeenth century.____________________________________________
Le présent tableau est à rapprocher des Préparatifs de la Flagellation du Christ de Gerard Seghers Réalisé pour l’église Saint-Michel de Gand, sa composition circula par le biais d’une gravure de Lucas Vorsterman (ill. 1 ; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inv. RP-P-OB-33.014). L’auteur de notre tableau s’en est inspiré de façon évidente : l’on y retrouve les deux bourreaux en arrière-plan, mais surtout la théâtralité de la composition transmise par les jeux d’ombre et de lumière, accentuée encore par le cadrage serré. La blancheur lumineuse des chairs du Christ contraste avec les fonds bruns ainsi qu’avec les carnations plus rouges des bourreaux en arrière-plan, monumentalisant ainsi la figure divine.
Il ne s’agit cependant pas ici d’une copie exacte : le mouvement du torse du Christ reprend celui que l’on observe dans la Flagellation du Christ du Caravage, aujourd’hui conservée au musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen (inv. 955.8.1). Cette torsion exagérée rajoute elle aussi de la force à la composition, et renforce son caractère dramatique.
Habile conjugaison de la tradition flamande avec la manière italienne, notre tableau témoigne de la richesse des échanges artistiques et de la diffusion des modèles caravagesques en Flandres au XVIIe siècle.