Saint Ambrose barring the Emperor Theodosius from the Milan Cathedral

This composition is known from several versions coming out of Rubens' circle. The best known of these is a painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 524) and a second in the National Gallery, London (inv. no. NG50). The Viennese composition has long been attributed to Rubens himself, but is now generally considered to have been painted -at least in large part- by a young Anthony van Dyck after a design and under the supervision of Rubens. The London work should be considered as Van Dyck's free-copy, painted a few years after the work in Vienna. The present lot falls between these two versions; it follows the Viennese prototype in its basic composition and the rendering of the faces, but also has details in common with the London painting. Ultimately it is not a full copy of either, boasting its own specific elements, most notably the embroidery of Saint Ambrose's mantle. The Corpus Rubenianum, Subjects from History, p. 297-311, lists all known versions of this composition, however none can be directly linked to the present painting.