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THBAttributed to Matthäus Merian
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$3,000 - $5,000
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| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $300,000 | $25,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Doyle
Jan 28, 2026
Set Reminder
2026-01-28 10:00:00
2026-01-28 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Old Master Paintings / Silver / English & Continental Furniture - Day 1
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/doyle/old-master-paintings-silver-english-continental-furniture---day-1-22083
Auction of Old Master & 19th Century Paintings, Drawings & Prints on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 10am Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Collection Doyle info@doyle.com
Auction of Old Master & 19th Century Paintings, Drawings & Prints on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 10am Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Collection Doyle info@doyle.com
View Full Catalog (223)
- Lot Description
From the Collection of Alfred H. Barr Jr.Anthropomorphic Landscape Inscribed Meriani (ll) Oil on panel 13 x 16 1/4 inches (33 x 41.4 cm) Frame 19 x 22 1/2 inches (48.3 x 57.2 cm) Provenance: Private Collection, Austria, before 1930 Purchased from an art gallery in Bad Gastein, Austria, in the summer of 1930 (per Alfred H. Barr, Jr., personal letter to Helen Franc of Magazine of Art, October 27, 1949) Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred H. Barr, Jr., New York Given by Margaret Scolari Barr (Mrs. Alfred Barr, Jr.) to her daughter Victoria Barr in 1984 (per Margaret Scolari Barr, personal letter to "David," October 23, 1985) Estate of Victoria Barr, New York Literature: P. Wescher, The Magazine of Art, 43 (1950) 1, pp. 3ff. Benno Geiger, I Dipinti Ghiribizzosi di Giuseppe Arcimboldi, Pittore Illustionista dl Cinquecento 1527-1593 (Florence, 1954), pp. 41, 146; illus. pl. 19. Exhibited: Indianapolis, The John Herron Art Museum, Pontormo to Greco: The Age of Mannerism, a Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings of the Century 1520-1620, February 14- March 28, 1954, no. 46 (as "Tradition of Giuseppe Arcimboldo") Wellesley College Museum of Art, Exhibition of Landscape Paintings, Spring, 1956, no. 12 (as "Tradition of Giuseppe Arcimboldo") New York, Wildenstein Gallery, Masters of Seven Centuries, March 1- 31, 1961, no. 14 (as "Matthieu Merian") Anthropomorphic Landscapes--imaginary views of natural scenery that appear to resemble the faces of people--were much in vogue in European art during the 16th and early 17th centuries. When the present painting was first discovered by Alfred Barr, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, in 1930, it was thought to be by the Italian Mannerist artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593). However, when the work was cleaned and restored in 1954, the inscription Meriani came to light. This discovery indicated that it might be by the Swiss engraver Matthäus Merian (1593-1650). Indeed, it was soon noticed that the painting's composition is a variant, in reverse, of the composition of an engraving by Merian, Anthropomorphic Landscape, 4 3/8 x 6 15/16 inches (11.1 x 17.0 cm) (Wüthrich 576 II; Hollstein 405). This inscription, together with the close relationship of the compositions of the painting and the print, suggests a strong possibility that the painting served as a preliminary sketch for Merian's engraving.Painted on an approximately rectangular panel with an irregularly cut lower edge and four horizontal splits, these reinforced with blocks inset on the back. The panel is unbeveled, the back coated with a shiny, dark brown varnish, which has been striated, apparently by hand with a tool, in a pattern of narrowly set shallow grooves. This unconventional finish and the irregular cutting of the lower edge suggest that the maker of this panel was not a trained professional in his craft.The paint surface is pitted with several gouged-out small holes, the largest of which are near the lower right and lower left corners. There is also a 3-cm-long (1 1/8-inch-long) scratch in the paint surface in the Iower left quadrant. There are areas of old restoration throughout. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact and our Organization shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please contact the specialist department to request further information or additional images that may be available. Request a condition report
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