Lot 27A Dα

This small-format painting is an intimate devotional work by the little-known Antwerp based painter Gabriël Franck. The artist was dean of the Guild of St Luke, is known to have trained at least six apprentices and was active at the beginning of the 17th century, between 1605 and 1637. Franck specialized in religious scenes, and new research shows that his works were also in great demand in Spain due to its special relationship with Flanders. Masters such as Daniel Seghers also experienced great success there due to the high demand for devotional paintings. As part of this trade, many of Franck's works were commissioned and sold via the Flemish art dealers Guilliam Forchondt II, Maria de Fourmenstraux and Christophe van Immerseel, in whose correspondence he is mentioned between 1623 and 1643.

Typically, Franck preferred painting on copper, which proved ideal for transport to Spain due to their lightness and portability. The figures in this delicately painted scene of the Christ Child and the Virgin Mary crowned by a halo display distinctive facial features with large almond-shaped eyes, an oval face shape, pointed nose and a small mouth. The smooth and enamelled appearance of the work testifies to the artist's quick and steady hand. Franck shows a clear preference for this motif. His works can be found in many Belgian churches, furthermore in the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Liège and the National Museum in Warsaw.