Christie’s January Old Masters Sale Features Works by Frans Francken II, Pieter Brueghel II, Peter Paul Rubens, and More

Christie’s January Old Masters Part I sale presents a wide range of artworks spanning six centuries of artistic creation. Among the top lots is a painting by Frans Francken II titled The Adoration of the Shepherds, depicting shepherds honoring the newborn Christ in the Gospel of Luke. Over the 16th and 17th centuries, genre painting grew in popularity due primarily to pastoral scenes inspired by this theme. Frans Francken was known for landscapes, genre paintings, and historical portraiture. The available painting depicts a wintry sky with a plain background, and the greenish-brown strokes define barren hills. This rare painting is signed and dated.

Another notable lot in this upcoming sale is a 1565 work by Pieter Brueghel II. Titled Summer: The Harvesters, the painting is part of a six-piece series depicting the seasons and commissioned by a merchant from Antwerp. The paintings of Bruegel are characterized by comic pathos. The Harvesters depicts the heat of summer in the Netherlands during harvest time. Country life is organized and dominated by the landscape despite the prominence of the figures. In his artwork, Bruegel represented the everyday people of society as part of the humanist movement. An attribution certificate from Klaus Ertz, dated 23 August 2010, accompanies this painting. Bidders can also consider paintings by Michele Marieschi and Giandomenico Tiepolo, as well as works by Jan Both and Corrado Giaquinto. Visit Christie’s website for more information on the upcoming Old Masters sale and to register to bid.