The Discovery of Erichthonius by the Daughters of Cecrops

Details

Attributed to Jacob de Backer (Harlingen 1608-1651 Amsterdam)
The Discovery of Erichthonius by the Daughters of Cecrops
oil on canvas
54¾ x 62¼ in. (139.1 x 158.2 cm.)

Provenance

Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 25 March 1977, lot 100, as 'Flemish School, circa 1600'.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, New York, 11 January 1990, lot 36, as 'Marten de Vos'.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Sale room notice

Please note that the attribution should read:
ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB DE BACKER (Antwerp c. 1555-c. 1585)

We are grateful to Jan de Maere for proposing that this picture is by Frederick van Valckenborch (Antwerp 1566-1633 Nuremberg).

Lot Essay

We are grateful to Dr. Eliska Fucikova for proposing that this picture can be attributed to Jacob de Backer, noting that it could be an early work by the artist and that the landscape is by another hand. The statue of the reclining male nude in the background derives from the river god Nile in the Vatican, which was excavated in the early 16th century.

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