Lot 53: School of Rembrandt, circa 1635/1640

The Sacrifice of Manoah - a fragment (?) oil on panel, inset into another panel 53.8 x 33.8 cm excluding the inset panel; overall measurements 55.2 x 37.8 cm LITERATURE A. Blankert, Ferdinand Bol, 1982, p.163, no.R12 (as not by Bol). W. Sumowski, Gem„lde der Rembrandt Schler, 1983, IV, p.2959, no.1967, ill. EXHIBITION Leyden, Stedelijk Museum de Lakenhal, Rondom Rembrandt, 1968, no.3, p.2, ill, as 'F. Bol'. NOTES The present picture is related to Rembrandt's circle and is datable to circa 1635/1640. By that time Old Testament subjects such as the Sacrifice of Manoah, which had been popular among Pre-Rembrandtesque painters, were being revitalised. Govaert Flinck painted the subject in 1640 in a picture now in the collection of Queens University, Kingston, Canada (W. Sumowski, Gem„lde der Rembrandt Schler, 1983, II, no.617, fig.1020). Jacob Willemsz. de Wet painted his interpretation as early as 1633 in a picture of which the present location is unknown (W. Sumowski, op. cit., p.2792, no.1825, ill.). Both Flinck's and De Wet's compositions are, like the present picture, strongly influenced by Pieter Lastman, who painted the subject on at least two occasions; one, dated 1624, was offered at Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 14 November 1995, lot 67 (A. Tmpel, P. Lastman, 1991, no.18, pp.120/1). The other, dated 1627, is in the Museum Het Rembrandthuis, on loan from a private collection ( ibid., no.21, pp.128/9, ill.). The subject is taken from Judges XIII: 19-20. We are grateful to Dr. Volker Manuth for his kind assistance in cataloguing this lot.