Saint Lawrence viewed by Ribera

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

I have already noted in this group the interest of the market for the paintings of Caravaggio's followers. It was in my article on the superb bagpipe player of ter Brugghen.

Despite a more conventional subject, the St. Lawrence of Ribera does not leave us indifferent, indeed. This work is for sale at Saumur, France on March 28 by the auctioneer Xavier de la Perraudière, who has already been highlighted last year by the successful sale of a painting by Paul Klee (see Modern Art Group, French side).

The saint is a young priest, with the tonsure. Serious and worried, he fails to communicate. The strong point of the image is the face, half in the light but whose eyes are in the shadows of the eyebrows. The hand is contracted on the torture tool, the grill. The chasuble, in a creamy color, is very beautiful and adds realism to the whole.

This painting is the subject of a video (in French) on Interencheres.tv. Mme Mauduit, of the CabinetTurquin, who valued the work and presents the video, said it is not dated but close to other achievements of our painter circa 1638-1640.

The estimate, 150 K €, may seem low, especially since the painting is of rather large size (98 x 63 cm).

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The market has confirmed that this work was important: K € 535 before fee.

Forget the estimate. Culturally, the message had been passed by other means, including the video of Interencheres and the front page of La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot of March 6.