1 an Early Work by Robert Campin J. G. VAN GELDER in the Catalogue Flemish Paintings and Drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London SW

J. G. VAN GELDER

An Work early by Robert Campin

IN the catalogue Flemish Paintings and Drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London SW 7, the first entry describes, as a work by the Master of F16malle, a triptych in original frame with the Entombment on the central panel, a donor on the left and the Resurrection on the right wing. The dimensions of the central panel are 60 x 48.9 cm; the wings, likewise panels, measure 60 x 22.5 cm each. Count Seilern informs us further that the present writer 'is preparing a comprehensive essay on this triptych' and that 'It is generally regarded as one of the earliest known works of the artist'1. (pl. 1-11, 14-17). Around ten years later, the promise of an essay can finally be kept, with the kind assistance and agreement of the owner2. The reasons for postponement lie in the nature of this particular work of art which, despite many investigations, still occupies an isolated place in the earliest period of Nether- landish painting. The triptych was acquired at an auction at Christie's on 14 August 19423 as a work of Adriaen Isenbrandt, from the property of Colonel R. F. W. Hill of Barn's Close, Bickleigh, Devon. It was ' exhibited once, at the Royal Academy, in 19534. Since the acquisition of the triptych in 1942 no new evidence has come to light regarding its date, its place of origin or the identity of the donor represented on the left wing. All these things are still unknown, although a provisional date will be suggested in the course of this essay. The pedigree of the triptych also remains obscure, in spite of the three names written in ink in the nineteenth century on the back of the central panel, which read as follows: (top) 'Mancinelli No. 32/'; (below in another hand) 'DeFalc(?)o-', 'DeFalc(?)oy(?)', 'DeFalt(?)o-', 'DeFalt(?)oy(?)' or `DeFall(?)oy(?)' ; (below) 'Colonna'. Despite the last reference, the triptych is not mentioned either in the catalogue of the Colon- na Collection, Rome, of 17835 or in the only known-but incomplete-copy of the sale catalogue of

1. Flemish Paintings and Drawings at 56 Princes Gate London SW 7, Janson, History of Art, New York 1962,p. 300 (repr. detail, angel with London 1955, p. 3, no. I and reproductions; Kurt Bauch, 'Ein Werk nails); J. Bruyn, 'Vrederick Hoon anno 1465', Bulletin van het Rijks- Robert Campins?', Pantheon, xxxn, 1944, pp. 30 ff. (repr.); 'A Triptych museum,,xi, 1963, pp. 31-8 (repr. right wing, p. 36); Albrecht Doh- by Adriaen Isenbrandt', The Year's Art, 1942-44, London (1946?),pp. mann, Die altniederländischeMalerei des funfzehnten Jahrhunderts von 97,102 (repr.); H. Beenken, Rogier van der Weyden,Munich 1951, pp. VanEyck bis Bosch, Leipzig 1964,pp. 36-7 (repr. p. 57); Horst Gerson, 20 f., 24, 101, 109 (repr. central panel only); L. Baldass, Jan van Eyck, in Kindlers Malerei Lexikon, vol. II, Zilrich 1965, pp. 376-8, s.v. Meis- London 1952, pp. 15 f., 18, 23, 67(repr. right wing only); E. Panofsky, ter von F16malle(repr. central panel, p. 376); A. Stange, 'Vier sfd- Early NetherlandishPainting, Cambridge (Mass.) 1953, pp. 160 ff., 165, flandrische Marientafeln : Ein Beitrag zur Genese der niederlandischen 235, 298 f., 304 (repr.); H. K. Rothel, 'Die Ausstellung fldmischer Malerei', Alte und Moderne Kunst, xi, no. 89, Vienna 1966, pp. 2-19 Malerei in London', Kunstchronik,VII, 1954,p. 89; D. Sutton, 'Flemish (repr. central panel, p. 24; dates our panels 'before 1410' in note 19); Painting at the Royal Academy', Les Arts Plastiques (Special English P. Pieper, 'Eine Tafel von Robert Campin', Pantheon, xxm, 1966, Issue), IV, 1954, pp. 4, 5, 69, note 5; J. S. Held, book review, 'Erwin pp. 279-82 (repr. central panel and colour repr. of the Cleveland St. Panofsky, Early NetherlandishPainting', Art Bulletin, XXXVII,1955, pp. John the Baptist; published after completion of this essay). 205 ff., 216; Ch. Sterling, 'La PietAde Tarascon', La Revue des Arts, v, 2. Thanks are due to the most generous hospitality of the owner, 1955, pp. 25 ff., 34 (repr. two details of central panel); J. Lassaigne, La who made it possible for me to study the triptych in his home as many Peinture Flamande I, Le si?cle de Van Eyck, Genève 1957, p. 28; K.M. times as necessary, and who helped solve its problems in the course of Birkmeyer, 'The Arch Motif in the Netherlandish Painting of the Fif- our many discussions. teenth Century: Part i', Art Bulletin, xLm, 1961, pp. 1, 2, 9; H. W. 3. No. 13, as by Adriaen Isenbrandt (Roland, Delbanco and others).

1 the 'Galerie de la Rue de la Pilotta, No. 17A' (Palazzo Colonna), 13th March to 14th April 18916. All three names clearly point to an Italian pedigree. Mancinelli occurs as a name several times in Naples in the nineteenth century, twice as the name of an artiste There were Neapolitan artists named De Falco (if that is the correct reading) in the same period8. After the triptych had been sold at the auction of 1942 mentioned above as by Adriaen Isenbrandt it was recognized by, among others, Grete Ring, L. Burchard, E. Schilling and 0. Pdcht (though none of them published his opinion) as a work by the Master of F16malle. As far as I know, this attribution has been explicitly challenged only by H. K. Rothel9 ; and F. Winkler, who at one time, judging from a photograph, regarded it as a Spanish copy from the mid-fifteenth centurylo, rejected it by implication in omitting it from his article on the Master of F16malle in Thieme-Beckerll. After careful cleaning by Mr. S. Isepp in 1942-1943, it became clear that the condition of the triptych was perfect. Contrary to Erwin Panofsky's view1 2, the donor has not been repainted, nor is the dog (A. Dohmann, op. cit., p. 37) a later addition. The only part to have suffered is the scroll associated with the donor, with the result that the writing on this (see below) is no longer legible. In the present writer's opinion the high artistic quality of the work throughout precludes the possi- bility of its being a copy. The obvious parallels with other works ascribed to the Master of F16malle fully justify its attribution to that artist, an artist who is now generally identified, as Hulin de Lool3 first suggested, with Robert Campin. Campin's Nativity in Dijon offers a good comparison. The Seilern triptych is closely related to the Dijon painting in its colouring, facial types and gestures, in the treatment of the materials and drapery folds (especially those of the hovering angels), and in the treatment of the hair of St. John, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. With regard to the date, the Seilern triptych still contains many characteristics associated with the great stylistic changes that took place around 1400 in the art of France, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, the Netherlands and elsewhere. For that reason a date after 1420 seems unlikely (further indications given below should clarify this). Panofsky has suggested 1415-1420. I regard 1410-1415 rather than 1420 as the more probablel4. Baldassls, though without going into details, also proposes a date before 1420 but after 1410. Only A. Stange suggested an earlier date: before 1410. Despite the features that point to an early date, however, the painting itself shows no signs of being the work of a beginner. Only the facial features of the donor betray a relatively inexperienced touch. It must have been preceded by other works by the master which are now lost, but for a single fragment

4. Flemish Art 1300-1700, London, Royal Academy, 1953, no. 6. Sanchez' signed Entombment in Budapest, Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, 5. Catalogo dei quadri e pitture esistenti nel Palazzo dell'Eccellen- cat. Spanish Masters, 1965, p. 19, no. 44, with repr. Kindly com- tissima Casa Colonna in Roma, Roma, Casaletti, 1783. E.K. Water- municated to me by H. Gerson. house has kindly informed me that he owns a copy. 11. Op. cit., xxxvn, 1950, pp. 98-101. 6. F. Lugt, Repertoire des Catalogues de Ventes,III, La Haye 1964, 12. Op. cit., p. 160. See also postscript, p. 17. no. 49811. 13. F. Hulin de Loo, 'An Authentic Work by Jacques Daret, Painted 7. Cf. Thieme-Becker, Künstlerlexikon,xxm, 1929, p. 604. in 1434', The Burlington Magazine, xv, 1909, pp. 202-8, p. 206, and 8. Cf. Thieme-Becker, op. cit., xi, 1915, p. 215. idem, 'Jacques Daret's Nativity of our Lord', The BurlingtonMagazine, 9. Op. cit., p. 89. xix, 1911, pp. 218-25, esp. p. 224. 10. Cf. K. Bauch, op. cit., p. 34, note 1. What a Spanish der- 14. J. Bruyn, op. cit., p. 36. ivation of a Flemish composition looks like can be seen in Pedro 15. Op. cit., pp. 15 f. For A. Stange, see note 1.