Peeter Van Avont

PIETER VAN AVONT (1600-1652) - SINE BACCHO ET CERERE FRIGET VENUS (WITHOUT CERES AND BACCHUS, VENUS WOULD FREEZE) -
Mis: 11 5/8 by 15 cm. 29.5 by 38 cm.
oil on copper The lower right and upper right corners are slightly bent; a strip of paint loss is crossing the upper right corner; a small scratch at lower left corner; a small, round blemish at upper left corner; another spot of paint loss on the putto at lower right; very glossy varnish. Under UV light: masking varnish is obscuring any potential inpainting.

PROVENANCE
Sale: Christie's, New York, May 25, 2005, lot 234

Pieter van Avont (Malines c. 1599-1652 Deurne) 'Sine Baccho et Cerere friget Venus' (Without Ceres and Bacchus,Venus would freeze) oil on copper 12 x 15¼ in. (30.5 x 38.8 cm.) Lot Notes We are grateful to Mr. Jan de Maere for suggesting theattribution on the basis of a transparency (written communication,5 October 2004).

pieter van avont malines 1600 - 1652 deurne a landscape with the mystic marriage of saint catherine oil on copper, in a near contemporary ebony frame 56.2 by 77 cm.; 22 1/4 by 30 1/4 in. the landscape is similar in style to that in many other works by van avont, and it may have been painted by himself. if not, his pupil frans wouters (lier 1612-1659 antwerp), with whom he is known to have collaborated, or more likely alexander keirincx (antwerp 1600-1652 amsterdam), or an artist close to him in style may have been responsible for it. the same figure group occurs to the right of a much smaller copper by van avont sold in these rooms, 2 november 2000, lot 1, in which the landscape appears to be by the same hand as in the present picture.