Belgian school (XVII) - La tentation du christ

17th-Century Flemish School

The Temptation of Christ

Oil on panel depicting the biblical episode of the Temptation of Christ, a subject frequently treated in Flemish painting of the 17th century and intended for cabinets and private devotion.

The scene shows Christ facing the winged tempter at the top of a rocky promontory, overlooking a mountainous landscape shaped by a river, distant buildings, and a sky animated by clouds. The contrast between the figures in the foreground and the open landscape is characteristic of Flemish productions of this period.

The work belongs to a family of ancient compositions: a comparable and fragmentary version is preserved at the Magnin Museum in Dijon, attesting to the diffusion of this model within French public collections. Another version, attributed to the Flemish school of the 17th century, was presented at public sale on January 24, 2017 at Boisgirard, lot no. 602, (hammered down for €6,875) confirming the existence of ancient variants of this composition.

Note a rare and meaningful iconographic detail that is also found in the parcellary version of the Magnin Museum in Dijon: the demon’s foot is deliberately treated as maimed or deformed, an expressive detail underscoring its demonic nature. This type of anatomical deformation, discreet yet intentional, constitutes a particularly rare element which, by the way, I do not find in the 2017 version sold at Boisgirard (see additional photos).


Dating: 17th century
Attribution: Flemish School of the 17th century
Technique: Oil on panel
Dimensions: 26.5 × 37 cm
Condition: Antique condition consistent with age (visible wear and patina, with no obvious heavy restoration)
Provenance: Private collection
Expertise: The painting was examined twice by independent experts as a 17th‑century work.

Representative work of 17th-century Flemish religious painting, notable for its iconography, its well-documented comparisons (museum collection and public sale), and the presence of an uncommon demonological detail.