Jan Kraeck, called Giovanni Caracca (Haarlem before 1550-1607 Turin) ; Portrait of Vittorio Amedeo (1587-1637) and Emanuele Filiberto (1588-1624), Dukes of Savoy. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

full-length, in red and silver costumes with red hoses, lace collars and cuffs, oil on canvas, 114 x 84.7 cm. Estimate €12,000 - €16,000. Price Realized €61,000

Notes: Vittorio Amadeo (1587-1637) and Emanuele Filiberto (1588-1624) were the sons of Duke Carlo Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy (1562-1630), who ruled over his duchy from 1580 to 1630. By his marriage to Infanta Catalina Micaela, the daughter of Philip II, King of Spain, he had gained a lot of influence. Accordingly, he re-organized his residence and his capital, Turin, and strategically started patronizing the arts. This patronage was highly programmatic, aimed at providing a suitable setting for his court. Vittorio Amadeo would eventually follow in his father's footsteps, both as ruler of the duchy and as prolific collector of works of art. His brother Emanuele Filiberto would be nominated Viceroy of Sicily by his cousin, king Philip III of Spain, and was to invite the young Anthony van Dyck to Sicily in 1624, who also painted his portrait.

The Dutch artist Jan Kraeck, or Giovanni Caracca, was appointed court painter to the Savoy in Turin in 1568 and stayed in function until his death in 1607. He mastered the international court style in portraiture popularized by the court painter of Philip II in Madrid, Antonis Mor. Kraeck's many portraits of the members of the Savoy family were instrumental in Carlo Emanuele I's ambitions to advance the fortunes of his dynasty.

We are grateful to Maria Kusche for confirming the attribution, on the basis of photographs (written communication, 13 October 2010).

Jens Juel (Gamborg 1745-1802 Copenhagen), Portrait of Frederikke Maria Sophia Brockdorff. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

seated full-length, in a white dress, in a park landscape with her dog beside her, signed and dated 'Juel pinxit 1796' (upper left), oil on canvas, unlined, 106.7 x 121.9 cm. Estimate €15,000 - €20,000. Price Realized €55,000

Provenance: Anonymous sale; Winkel and Magnussen, Copenhagen, 16 May 1942, lot 161, where acquired by Mr. Louis Foght.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 8 December 1971, lot 30.
with Leger, London, 1972.

Literature: Z. Andrup, Otto Andrup og livet omkring ham, Copenhagen, 1970, p. 129.
T. Crombie, 'Salutes to the Seicento', Apollo, May 1972, p. 402, illustrated.
E. Poulsen, Jens Juel, Copenhagen, 1991, I, p. 180, cat. 645 and II, p. 411, fig. 645.
Ch. Christensen, Hvis engle kunne male.. Jens Juels portratkunst, Frederiksborg, 1996, p. 91, fig. 73 and pp. 174-5, cat. 96.

Exhibited: Frederiksborg, Nationalhistoriske Museum, Hvis engle kunne male...Jens Juels Portratkunst, 08 June-20 October, 1996, no. 96, ill. 73.

Notes: Frederikke Maria Sophie Brockdorff was a member of an important noble family originating from the duchy of Holstein around the Danish-German border. She may have been the daughter of Cay Lorenz Brockdorff who was a member of the German Chancellery in Copenhagen when the picture was made.

Jens Juel should be considered one of the most important Danish painters of his time. He specialized mostly in portraits and was especially sought after in Danish noble circles. He depicted several members of the Danish royal family. His portraits both reflect the influence of contemporary French artists as well as that of British specialists like Gainsborough and Reynolds.

Friedrich Carl Gröger (Plön 1766-1838 Hamburg), Portrait of Sophie Caroline von Berger, née Gräfin Krag-Juel-Vind-Fries. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

three-quarter-length, in a white dress and a silk wrap, standing in a landscape, leaning on a pedestal with lilies, signed and dated 'Groger pinx 1809' (lower right) , oil on canvas, 123.3 x 96.5 cm. Estimate €5,000 - €8,000. Price Realized €18,750

Provenance: with Edmund J. Kratz, Hamburg, 1971.

Literature: P. Vignau-Wilberg, Der Maler Friedrich Carl Grøger, 1971, p. 100.

Laurens Vincentsz van der Vinne (Haarlem 1658 - 1729), Sunflowers, roses, tulips and other flowers in a guilded vase in a trompe-l'oeil marble niche. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

signed 'Lauren van dr Vinne' (lower left) and dated 'A: 1721.' (lower right), oil on canvas, 109.5 x 100 cm.. Estimate €15,000 - €20,000. Price Realized €15,000

Literature/ Voorloopige lijst der Nederlandsche monumenten van geschiedenis en kunst: de Provincie Noordholland (uitgezonderd Amsterdam), deel V, I, Utrecht, 1921, p. 144.

Cornelis Lelienbergh (active The Hague 1646-1680)? A pigeon hanging from a blue ribbon with other birds in a trompe-l'oeil stone niche.. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

oil on canvas? 55.6 x 47.1 cm. Estimate €6,000 - €8,000. Price Realized €10,625

Notes/ We are grateful to Mr. Fred Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, for confirming the attribution to Cornelis Lelienbergh on the basis of photographs (verbal communication, 14 October 2010).

Christie's. European Noble and Private Collections incl. Fine Paintings,14 - 16 December 2010, Amsterdam www.christies.com