Gillis Congnet Painting Flemish School

Stylistically, our painting seems to be the work of a painter familiar with the work of Gillis Congnet.

Compositional elements we consider of particular interest in this painting are the hands and the pose of the Saint John. We have not yet found this pose in any other such composition from this period and region, either in painting or prints. This could suggest that this is a true invention of this anonymous painter.

As for the historical aspects of the painting, of enormous significance is the pair of noble coats of arms to the right and left of Christ, likely placed to celebrate the union of two families through marriage. We can recognize the left one of the two coats of arms.

In the blue field, it has buckles on a golden band topped by a rampant silver greyhound, all adorned by a crown; this is the coat of arms of the French family de Lamarzelle, which was originally from Burgundy and later settled in Brittany. This family’s genealogy is known starting from a man named Guillaume (around the 16th-17th century) through Yves de lamarzelle (1908–1999) who married Odette Falcon de Longevialle (1909-1997) in 1931.

Given that the second coat of arms has the same type of crown in its upper section, we can assume that the other family, though not yet identified, had French or Flemish origins.

The painting is from the collection of a historical Belgian family, who had had it at least since the late 19th century (oral statement).

Literature: Pol Potier de Courcy, Nobiliaire et armorial de Bretagne, Vol II, pg. 148.

Housed in a stunning gild frame.

This artwork is shipped from Rome. Under existing legislation, any artwork in Italy created over 70 years ago by an artist who has died requires a licence for export regardless of the work’s market price. The shipping may require additional handling days to require the licence according to the final destination of the artwork.

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