Circle of Sir Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp 1599-1641 London)

Larsen (op. cit.) considers the present painting as a 'pruned and simplified study' of van Dyck's St. Jerome in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen in Dresden, in which the artist focussed on rendering of the head, hands and torso and dates it to the same period; circa 1617. Although the attribution to Van Dyck cannot be sustained today, this powerful image of the Penitent Saint is directly related to the circle of artists who trained in Van Dyck's studio.

This lot is offered with copies of certificates by L. van Puyvelde, dated 10 July 1950, and Prof. Dr. R. Eigenberger, dated January 1955, attributing the painting in full to Sir Anthony van Dyck. A third certificate, by M.J. Friedländer, dated 1 June 1944, is mentioned in the Vienna catalogue of 1955, also attributing the picture in full to Van Dyck.