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Frans Francken II

Price Tax incl.:
15800 EUR

Crossing the Red Sea Workshop of Frans Francken II (1581-1642) 17th century Antwerp school Oil on oak panel Dimensions: h. 49.5 cm, l. 64.5 cm Later period frame in molded and blackened wood with wide moldings and upside-down profile. Framed dimensions: h. 82 cm, w. 97 cm Our panel illustrates an episode from the Old Testament, recounted in the book of Exodus. After crossing the Red Sea, the Jewish people, safe and sound, rest on the shore while Pharaoh's army is swallowed up by the waves thanks to Moses' intervention. The crossing of the Red Sea comes as, after centuries of captivity, the Jewish people, finally freed by Pharaoh, embark on their return journey. Pharaoh, filled with vengeance, decides to pursue them, and so the Egyptian army perishes in the waves. In the foreground, the composition focuses on a restless group of figures gesticulating towards the coffin containing the remains of the patriarch Joseph, which has just been opened. Numerous women with newborn babies refer to the redemption of the firstborn. At their feet, strewn across the floor, are the pieces of silverware stolen from the Egyptians before the departure. In the background, we see Aaron accompanied by Moses, who raises his staff to close the sea and annihilate Pharaoh's army in the giant whirlpool. The profusion of figures between the two shots gives the impression of a huge crowd, and the horse standing out from the rest of the figures is a curious element invented by the painter, as is the monkey seated in the foreground. This blending of eras and continents is particularly evident in the depiction of the bucolic, undulating Flemish landscape, with its intense green hues, in contrast to the desert in which the Israelites find themselves after leaving Egypt. The painter's palette of varied colors further enriches the already elaborate composition. Frans Francken repeatedly painted the subject of the Red Sea crossing, varying the groups of figures and the compositional elements. Several paintings on this theme are mentioned in Ursula Härting's monograph (Frans Francken II, 1989, pp.236-239). Its versions, mostly executed by Frans Francken's workshop and in particular by his son Hyeronimus Francken III, can be found in European museums and private collections. In terms of content, the story is often paralleled by the political conflicts between Spain and the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, which led to the independence of the northern Netherlands in 1648. Related works : - Dorotheum sale, Vienna, 10/22/2019, by Hyeronimus Francken III, oil on copper, 50.5 x 67.5 cm - Musée de Tessé, Le Mans, workshop of Frans II Francken (1581-1642), oil on wood - Koller sale, Zurich, 2009/09/18, lot no. 3052, by Hyeronimus Francken III, oil on wood, 51.2 x 73.5 cm. - Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, circa 1620, attributed to Hyeronimus Francken III, h. 47.5cm, l. 71.8cm - Hambourg Kunsthalle, The Israelites resting by the Red Sea, 1621, Tobias Verhaecht& Frans Francken II, oil on wood, h. 60,5, l. 105 cm - Rouillac sale, Vendôme 10/06/2018, oil on panel, h. 93.5, l. 123.5 cm (the monkey is also present) - Braunschweig, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Oil on oak, h. 45 cm, l. 47 cm, Frans II Francken, c. 1625, signed ffranck (the scene around Joseph's tomb is very similar)

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