Lot 1127 Dα

Sebastian Vrancx was a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp in 1600/1601. This work can be dated to the first decade of this century, and an exhibition catalogue from 2002 narrows the origin down to the year 1608. At this time, the painter is already at the height of his artistic prowess, and the quality of painting and colour can be compare favourably to the works of Pieter Brueghel the Younger. Although Vrancx was later mainly known for his battle scenes, his allegories of the months and seasons are also among his finest works. This subject has its origins in early manuscript illumination, but became increasingly popular in the late 16th and early 17th century and was used especially frequently by members of the Brueghel family and their circle.
The motif of the old man warming himself by a fire is central to the interpretation of this image as an allegory of winter. Vrancx has placed him on the right edge of the painting, whereas the lower section of the work is occupied by a kind of panoramic view over a complex still life. As with many other artists, he has included winter vegetables such as white and red cabbage in this allegoric depiction, but also a variety of unusual objects which would need to be investigated in more detail. However, the view of a snow-covered village landscape in the background with figures playing in the snow is once again canonical to this subject. An allegory of autumn signed by Vrancx and with the same dimensions as the present work recently came up for auction at Sotheby's in New York (30.01.2014, lot 20), and could be part of the same series as this painting. However, this cannot be proven with certainty, as the wooden panels used for such works often had the same standard sizes.