17TH CENTURY

The survival of a piece such as the present cabinet is a relative rarity because the jewel-like quality of the painted panels often resulted in the breaking up of similar examples in order to frame the door or drawer fronts as individual works of art. With its somewhat severe architectural exterior concealing a lavish interior, this cabinet follows a northern tradition which was heavily influenced by the restraint of the Protestant movement. It can be closely compared to a similar cabinet, albeit with painted marble panels on the drawer fronts, which was offered on the art market in 1975 (Sotheby's, 17/1/75, lot 83). The painted panels are also similar to those on another cabinet currently on the art market; these latter panels have tentatively been attributed to Anton Mozart (1573-1625), a miniaturist whose work is to be found in museums in Germany and Switzerland.