Peter Paul Rubens, 1577 Siegen – 1640 Antwerpen, und Werkstatt

JESUS AND JOHN IN YOUTHFUL AGE Oil on canvas. Doubled. 125 x 158 cm. Numbered and labeled verso on stretcher. In gilded and relief-decorated frame. Accompanied by an original expertise by Prof. Julius S. Held, 12 March 1982 and a copy of a technical expertise by Prof. Dr. Franz Mairinger, Vienna, 8 November 1991 and a confirmation of the authenticity of the present painting by Hugues Le Grand, Saint-Germain-de-Confolens, without date, who fully acknowledges Rubens as the author of the painting offered here, as well as a confirmation of provenance by Princess M. Sayn - Wittgenstein, Munich, 7 January 1994. The depiction from the Protoevangelium of Jacobus, in which Elizabeth visits the Holy Family together with Zacharias and the young John, is fascinating and open to many interpretations. The seemingly carefree play of the children, in particular the depiction of the Christ Child moving to caress the lamb, is characterized by rich symbolism. The image of the Christ child rising from a tree stump to touch the lamb can be interpreted on several levels. Firstly, it shows the incarnation of Christ and his role as Redeemer. By touching the lamb, he symbolically accepts the sacrificial death that awaits him in order to redeem humanity from its sins. However, the tree stump could also show a connection to the biblical prophecy of Isaiah, which describes the Messiah as a shoot from the root of Jesse. As the Christ child rises from this tree stump, his connection to the messianic lineage becomes clear. The presence of John the Baptist in this scene further reinforces the symbolism. John, who announced the Lamb of God, is already closely associated with the Redeemer in his youth. His presence at this event emphasizes the prophetic nature of the visit and the foreshadowing of what is to come. Provenance: Russian tsarist dynasty. The present work came into the art collection of Seehof Palace through the marriage of a Wittelsbach woman into the Russian tsarist family. Collection of Baron Franz Joseph von Zandt, Seehof Castle near Bamberg, sold in 1951 to: Art collector, Switzerland. Tiberius Auction, Vienna, July 5, 2022, lot 9. Literature: Cf. M. Rooses: L'Oeuvre de P.P. Rubens, Antwerp 1886, pp. 250ff. Cf. W.L. Crowdy: A Connoisseur's Note book, in: The Playgoer and Society, nos. 7-12, London 1910. Cf. Erik Larsen: Seventeenth Century Flemish Painting, Freren 1985. Cf. Michael Jaffé: Catalogo completo: Rubens, Milan 1989 (1400061) (13) Peter Paul Rubens, 1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp, and workshop CHRIST AND SAINT JOHN AS YOUTHS Oil on canvas. Relined. 125 x 158 cm. Stretcher with numbers and label on the reverse. Accompanied by an original report by Professor Julius S. Held, 12 March 1982, a copy of a technical report by Professor Dr. Franz Mairinger, Vienna, 8 November 1991, and a certificate of authenticity of the present painting by Hugues Le Grand, Saint-Germain-de-Confolens, n.d., who fully recognizes Rubens as the creator of the painting on offer for sale in this lot and a confirmation of provenance by Princess M. Sayn-Wittgenstein, Munich, 7 January 1994. Provenance: Estate of Russian Tsars. Through marriage of a Wittelsbach heiress into the Russian Tsarist family, the present work came into the art collection of Seehof Castle. Baron Franz Joseph von Zandt collection, Seehof Castle near Bamberg, 1951 sold to: Art collector, Switzerland. Tiberius Auction, Vienna, July 5, 2022, lot 9. Literature: cf. M. Rooses, L'oeuvre de P.P. Rubens, Antwerp 1886, p. 250f. cf. W.L. Crowdy, A Connoisseur's Notebook, in: The Playgoer and Society, nos. 7-12, London 1910. cf. Erik Larsen, Seventeenth Century Flemish Painting, Freren 1985. cf. Michael Jaffé, Rubens: Catalogo completo, Milan 1989.