Gabriel Engels (Hamburg 1592 - 1654). Interior of an ideal double-span Renaissance church.

Monogrammed bottom on the plinth of the central column: G.E. F. Oil on canvas. Relined. 69 x 95,5cm. Framed. Estimation : 10 000 €

Notes: Gabriel Engels stems from a protestant refugee family from Brabant. After travelling through England, Brabant and Italy he settled in 1621 in Hamburg. He became a renowned perspective painter and is in accordance to the tradition of such important masters as Hans Vredemann de Vries and Bartholomäus van Bassen. One may certainly presume a different hand for the unusually scarce figures. The superior quality of the figures - left, slightly in the shade, the figures of a child and a woman; on the right a worldly gentleman in hunting-robe and humble composure - reminds of figure painters such as Frans Francken II. The story obviously being told here remains unexplained to us, presumably the meaning of the depiction can be found in the daily events of the time.

To the few confirmed works of Engels two works can be counted (Hamburg Museum and the Kopenhagen Statens Museum for Kunst). The painter, voted 'Bürgerkapitän' [captian of the trainband], worked for the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein in Gottorf.

We thank Dr. Middendorf for her kind support.

Vente du Vendredi 21 novembre 2008. Peintures et Sculptures Anciennes et du XIXe Siècle. Van Ham - Cologne - Allemagne