A head study of a bearded man catalogued as ‘Old Master School, 18th Century’, £16,200 at Wotton Auction Rooms.
The charcoal and red crayon on paper sketch measured 6.25 x 8.5 (16 x 21.5 cm) and came to the auction in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire on December 30 from a private local family.
With seemingly no earlier provenance known and the less-than-ideal condition, it was catalogued as ‘Old Master School, 18th Century’ and given a £200-300 estimate. On the day however, it drew plenty of interest and was taken to many times this level, eventually being knocked down at £16,200 to an online buyer.
According to trade sources, bidders most likely deemed it to be a Flemish drawing from the early 17th century. One London dealer told ATG it was possibly by a hand close to Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), if not by the Antwerp artist himself.
Jordaens produced plenty of head studies over his career including oils on paper or canvas which served as preparatory sketches for his large narrative paintings. Drawings executed in chalk and crayon were also not unknown including studies of saints, apostles and other elderly men.
The frame and mount were much later in date than the original drawing at Wotton Auction Rooms.
Here, the dreamy or mournful expression, together with the fluid handling and free-flowing facial hair all seemed to be in keeping with other known sketches by Jordaens including a chalk, pen and ink study of a bearded man that made $20,000 (£11,420) at Christie's New York in 1992.
It will now be interesting to see if the work in Gloucestershire emerges with a new attribution in due course should research yield further information.
The buyer’s premium at Wotton Auction Rooms was 20%.
