Lot 1518 Dα

In 16th century Flanders, there was a great demand for private devotional pieces such as this depiction of the Virgin and Child. These works were generally small in format and designed to aid in domestic prayer and meditation. The present work features a particularly tender depiction of the Madonna and Child, who are shown in a warm embrace with their faces pressed against one another. A variation of this composition of the Galerie de Jonckheere in 2014 with near identical dimensions was attributed to Cornelis van Cleve, and thus we can assume the present work to originate from the workshop of this Antwerp. Cornelis, the son of Joos van Cleve, is thought to have been accepted as a master by the Guild of Saint Luke in his home town in 1541, and to have married and purchased a house in 1546. He travelled to England in circa 1555, but became mentally ill whilst he was there. He was presumably brought back to Antwerp in 1560.
This work displays a more accomplished brushwork than the example in the Galerie de Jonckheere and is characterised by an accentuated sense of volume, deep chiaroscuro, and strong contrast between the Virgin's blue gown and Her red cloak.