Lot 1236 Dα

This painting shows the head and shoulders of an old lady, smiling cheerfully, depicted in three-quarter view looking to the right. The sketchy execution leads one to believe that it could be a head study from life. The painting can be related to other works from Rubens and his circle from around 1630/1640. Our head study was used for the depiction of Elisabeth in the 1635 dated painting from Rubens 'Holy Family and Elisabeth and John the Baptist' (Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Köln, Inv. 1038). The study also forms the starting point for Elisabeth in the painting 'Maria's Visit to Elisabeth' (Galleria Borghese, Rome), a signed and dated work by Marten Mendeken from 1638, a painter who had close connections to Rubens in the 1630s.
Furthermore, the head study shows a great anatomical similarity to the 'Head Study of an Old Lady', looking left (Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Inv. No. 333), also produced in the 1630s, but of a much thicker execution. In both studies the woman is wearing the same black, tongue-shaped headdress, a so-called 'Coif'. With these similarities, our painting could be seen to be from within close proximity to Rubens and possibly a product of his workshop.
A sticker on the reverse of the frame printed with 'Dep. W-R. M. 153' (or 156) suggests that the painting was at one point, now unknown, deposited (i.e. on loan) to the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne.
We would like to thank Prof. Hans Vlieghe (Antwerp), Dr. Nico Van Hout (Antwerp) and Dr. Roland Krischel (Köln) for their assistance.