Lot Essay
The landscape background appears to be by a different hand, close to Abel Grimmer
As pointed out by H.W. Janson, The Putto with the Death's Head, in Art Bulletin, III, September 1937, pp. 423/49, the theme of a dying putto on a skull became popular in 16th century Northern Europe. Early examples are found in German prints, e.g. Barthel Beham's of 1525 (Bartsch 31; Janson, op.cit., fig. 22); they were based on Italian late 15th century examples of the so called L'Hora Passa woodcut (Bibliothèque National, Paris; Janson, op.cit., fig. 10)
See illustration
As pointed out by H.W. Janson, The Putto with the Death's Head, in Art Bulletin, III, September 1937, pp. 423/49, the theme of a dying putto on a skull became popular in 16th century Northern Europe. Early examples are found in German prints, e.g. Barthel Beham's of 1525 (Bartsch 31; Janson, op.cit., fig. 22); they were based on Italian late 15th century examples of the so called L'Hora Passa woodcut (Bibliothèque National, Paris; Janson, op.cit., fig. 10)
See illustration