Attributed to Frans Francken II (Antwerp, 1581... Lot n° 8

Attributed to Frans Francken II (Antwerp, 1581 - 1642) "The Preaching of Saint John the Baptist" Oil on copper. 52x60cm. It represents the biblical scene of the Preaching of John the Baptist in the Judean desert. (Matthew, 3:1) Frans Francken II was a famous painter of mythological scenes, religious and allegorical compositions, as well as an engraver. As stated by the Prado, we can divide the painter's production into four stages. In our opinion, this copper belongs to Francken's first stage, in which his "works denote his initial connection with the painting and style typical of the 16th century, with high viewpoints and [...] local colours, especially browns, blues and greens". Other general characteristics of his work, which continue throughout his career, "are his figures with large black eyes, achieved by using touches of carbon black" and the inclusion, from 1610 (in his second stage), of stereotyped women in his paintings. His work can be found in the Rijksmuseum, in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, in the Louvre or, among many other museums, in the Prado, where up to 20 paintings by our painter are preserved, three of which are collaborations. Bibliographic references: -Museo del Prado (s.f.). "Franken II, Frans". https://www.museodelprado.es/recurso/francken-ii-frans/094e0a02-6efd-461e-9b9a-9d58d15d71cf