Lot 42: ABEL GRIMMER | The Tower of Babel

oil on oak panel

71.8 by 92.4 cm.; 28 1/4  by 36 3/8  in.

oil on oak panel

The following condition report is provided by Hamish Dewar who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: Structural Condition The artist's panel has three vertical batons on the reverse, applied to secure the panel joins and splits. The panel joins are slightly uneven and there are also some areas of slight blistering across the paint surface, suggesting that further panel conservation would be beneficial. Paint Surface The paint surface has a rather dull and discoloured varnish layer and should respond well to cleaning. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows quite extensive retouchings, particularly in the sky, many of which are undoubtedly excessive and if they were to be removed during the cleaning process could be considerably reduced. These retouchings are most concentrated in the upper right of the sky, with a number of smaller retouchings in the upper left. There are also two horizontal lines of inpainting running across the width of the panel where the panel joins have been infilled and retouched. These are approximately 31cm and 50cm below the upper horizontal framing edge and there is also a thin line of retouching covering a horizontal split in the lower right corner. This is approximately 18cm in length and is 4cm above the lower horizontal framing edge. There is some evidence of wear in the finer details of the composition and it may be that there are other retouchings beneath the discoloured varnish layers that are not identifiable under ultra-violet light. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in reasonably good condition and should respond well to cleaning should this be required. Some structural consolidation would also be recommended. Please note that an infra-red image of the present lot is available at sothebys.com
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

C. Kramm, De Levens en Werken der Hollandsche en Vlaamsche Kunstschilders, 1857, vol. I, p. 605;
H. Nasse, in Monatshefte für Kunstwissenschaft, 1912, p. 325, reproduced plate 37;
A. Laes, in Annuaire des Musées des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 1938, p. 37;
H. Minkowski, Aus der Nebel der Vergangenheit steigt der Turm zi Babel aus 1.000 Jahren, Berlin 1960, p. 61, no. 189;
R. de Bertier de Sauvigny, Jacob et Abel Grimmer, Brussels 1991, p. 189, no. I;
H. Minkowski, Vermutungen über den Turm zu Babel, Freren 1991, pp. 172, 187, no. 257, reproduced p. 186.

Anonymous sale, Frankfurt, Bangel, 17 and 18 May 1904, lot 32 (as attributed to Jan Brueghel the Elder);
Acquired there or shortly after by Professor Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr von Bissing, Munich;
Thence by descent.