A river landscape with a town, a palace and a church

Details

Attributed to Frans Mostaert (Hulst 1528-after 1560 Antwerp)
A river landscape with a town, a palace and a church
oil on panel, tondo
18.8 cm. diam.

Exhibited

's-Hertogenbosch, Noordbrabants Museum, Panorama op de wereld: het landschap van Bosch tot Rubens, 17 March-10 June 2001, no. 29.

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Lot Essay

Frans Mostaert was the twin-brother of Gillis. Both probably got their first introduction into the art of painting from their father who was also a painter and, according to Karel van Mander, Frans moved on to learn with Herri met de Bles to specialise in landscape painting. In 1555 both Frans and Gillis Mostaert joined the guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp. Although Frans died at the young age of 35, he had several famous pupils like Jan Soens and Bartholomeus Spranger.

Only one signed picture by Frans Mostaert is known, Landscape with the Good Samaritan in the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp. A second work traditionally attributed to this master, also a landscape, is in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. The present picture shows clear similarities in style and technique with the aforementioned compositions.

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