Lot 112: *Joachim Beuckelaer (circa 1530-circa 1574) execution of the five kings of the amorites (joshua

*Joachim Beuckelaer (circa 1530-circa 1574) execution of the five kings of the amorites (joshua xvi-xvii). Oil on paper en grisaille. 259 by 191mm. Provenance: Bears an unidentified collector's inventory number on the back of the mount. Literature: W. Kloek, 'De Tekeningen van Pieter Aertsen en Joachim Beuckelaer', Nederlands Kunthistorisch Jaarboek, 40, 1989, pp.161-62, cat.B9d, illus. One of a set of four remarkable grisailles illustrating episodes from the book of Joshua, which were identified as the work of Beuckelaer by Wouter Kloek (op. cit.). Two of the others, one dated 1565, were sold Amsterdam, Sotheby's (14 November 1988, lot 24, and 21 November 1989, lot 32), and the fourth is in a private collection. In this scene, the five Amorite kings,

*Joachim Beuckelaer (circa 1530-circa 1574)
execution of the five kings of the amorites (joshua xvi-xvii).
Oil on paper en grisaille.
259 by 191mm.
Provenance:
Bears an unidentified collector's inventory number on the back of the mount.
Literature:
W. Kloek, 'De Tekeningen van Pieter Aertsen en Joachim Beuckelaer', Nederlands Kunthistorisch Jaarboek, 40, 1989, pp.161-62, cat.B9d, illus.
One of a set of four remarkable grisailles illustrating episodes from the book of Joshua, which were identified as the work of Beuckelaer by Wouter Kloek (op. cit.). Two of the others, one dated 1565, were sold Amsterdam, Sotheby's (14 November 1988, lot 24, and 21 November 1989, lot 32), and the fourth is in a private collection. In this scene, the five Amorite kings, having led their forces against the people of Gibeon, are discovered by Joshua hiding in a cave. Joshua orders the people of Israel to gather around the cave while the kings are dragged out, humiliated and finally slaughtered. Their bodies are hung from trees before being thrown back into the cave, which is sealed up with stones.
Prior to Kloek's publication, no clear image had emerged of this interesting artist's graphic style, and even now only some fifteen drawings and grisailles can be attributed to him with reasonable certainty, all apparently dating from the period 1560-65. The attribution to Beuckelaer of the Joshua grisailles is based on a comparison with two very similar works in the Louvre (Kloek, op. cit., cats. 10a and 10b), one of which is a preparatory study for a painting of around 1565, and also on the basis of similarities with background figures in the artist's paintings. As Kloek has pointed out (op. cit., p. 135), Beuckelaer's grisaille oil sketches are of considerable art-historical
significance, as they predate the far better known works in this medium by artists such as Dirck Barendsz., Anthonie Blocklandt and Otto van Veen.
*Joachim Beuckelaer (circa 1530-circa 1574)
execution of the five kings of the amorites (joshua xvi-xvii).
Oil on paper en grisaille.
259 by 191mm.
Provenance:
Bears an unidentified collector's inventory number on the back of the mount.
Literature:
W. Kloek, 'De Tekeningen van Pieter Aertsen en Joachim Beuckelaer', Nederlands Kunthistorisch Jaarboek, 40, 1989, pp.161-62, cat.B9d, illus.
One of a set of four remarkable grisailles illustrating episodes from the book of Joshua, which were identified as the work of Beuckelaer by Wouter Kloek (op. cit.). Two of the others, one dated 1565, were sold Amsterdam, Sotheby's (14 November 1988, lot 24, and 21 November 1989, lot 32), and the fourth is in a private collection. In this scene, the five Amorite kings, having led their forces against the people of Gibeon, are discovered by Joshua hiding in a cave. Joshua orders the people of Israel to gather around the cave while the kings are dragged out, humiliated and finally slaughtered. Their bodies are hung from trees before being thrown back into the cave, which is sealed up with stones.
Prior to Kloek's publication, no clear image had emerged of this interesting artist's graphic style, and even now only some fifteen drawings and grisailles can be attributed to him with reasonable certainty, all apparently dating from the period 1560-65. The attribution to Beuckelaer of the Joshua grisailles is based on a comparison with two very similar works in the Louvre (Kloek, op. cit., cats. 10a and 10b), one of which is a preparatory study for a painting of around 1565, and also on the basis of similarities with background figures in the artist's paintings. As Kloek has pointed out (op. cit., p. 135), Beuckelaer's grisaille oil sketches are of considerable art-historical
significance, as they predate the far better known works in this medium by artists such as Dirck Barendsz., Anthonie Blocklandt and Otto van Veen.