Early 17th century Flemish school, after Jan Saenredam... Lot 2

Early 17th century Flemish school, after Jan Saenredam (Zandaam 1565-1607 Assendelft), after Hendrick Goltzius (Bruggen 1558-1617 Haarlem) The Children of Mercury Oil on canvas 28 x 21 cm. (Old vertical fracture running across the entire surface, located 4 cm from the right margin, restored) Rare example of a transposition into paint of an engraving by Saenredam after a drawing by Goltzius, executed around 1596, from a series of 7 devoted to the planet-gods (one copy preserved at the British Museum, inv. D,5.254). Mercury is presented as the patron deity of the Arts, his statue framed in the sky by the zodiacal signs of Gemini and Virgo. Expert : Pierre Antoine Martenet