A 17th Century Flemish School oil on panel painting, Circle of Adriaen Brouwer, depicting an allegory of hearing - The Flute Player. The painting shows great detail and character, in both subjects, the flute player himself, wearing a red cap and with a lapis lazuli colored coat, his foot propped up on a wooden box and the spectator, a character type with large nose and smile on his face, listening to the music. The music sheet with the player’s elbow resting on it and a stoneware pouring jug on the floor. The glints of light on the stoneware and the varying colors make the jug pop out of the painting. The tasteful use of chiaroscuro makes the entire group stand out. The panel measures 12 13/16” x 10 1/8” and overall with the gilt frame measures 19 1/4” x 16 1/2”. The panel in very good condition with some old touch-ups around the edge of the frame and minor touchups around the characters and in the background, the frame with small nicks and abrasions, but in ready to hang condition.

Adriaen Brouwer (1605-1638) was one of the most important Flemish artists and was instrumental in the development of peasant tavern scenes which influenced many Flemish and Dutch artists including Adrian van Ostade, David Teniers the Younger, Hendrik Martensz. Sorgh, Jan Miense Molenaer and many others. Brouwer died an an early age (33) of plague. His paintings were found in the personal collections of Peter Paul Ruebens and Rembrandt Hermansz. van Rijn. He very seldom signed any of his paintings. His known works are estimated to be less than 60, most of which are in museums, and there have been challenges to attribution of a number of his works over the centuries. While the present painting was at one time believed to be by the hand of Brouwer himself, even by experts, more recent thinking is that it was likely painted by someone in the artist’s circle in the same manner as that of the artist.

Provenance of this painting:

Possibly Sir John Trumbull (1756-1843), Londres, en 1797
Possibly Alleyne FitzHerbert (1753-1839), 1st Baron St Helens, Londres, en 1820.
Possibly P. Pierrepont, Londres, en 1873.
Possibly John Ashley, Londres, en 1907.
Possibly Dr. Georg Bolzani, Berlin, en 1935.
Collection particulière, Pays-Bas

Christies Paris

The present picture is accompanied by a scanned image of a letter by Friedrich Winkler (1888-1965), dated 30 June 1935, and a photo letter by Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner (1880-1958), dated 10 August 1935, both attributing the picture in full to Adriaen Brouwer (1605-1638), both letters in German.
The provenance of the panting is provided in a note, which was probably typed by Pieter J.J. van Thiel (1928-2012), one of the founders of the Rembrandt Research Project.

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