Jordaens: Northern Theatricality

This preparatory watercolor by Jacob Jordaens for the Hamburg Kunsthalle’s Deposition may correspond to a drawing mentioned in the immense Crozat Collection. Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), The Deposition, c. 1650, watercolor and gouache highlights on black pencil lines, 35 x 26 cm/13.78 x 10.24 in. Estimate: €30,000/40,000 The dynamism of the composition, centered on a pyramid recalling Michelangelo's Pietà, is matched by the brisk, short lines, which are finely hatched to create the shadows and more pronounced to emphasize the contours, while the crisp, sculptural drapery underscores the emphatic gestures. The shadow of the Counter-Reformation hovers over this theatrical scene. It was spearheaded by the sovereigns