Pieter Pourbus (1523–1584) XVII-XVIII Follower - De Wederopstanding (No Reserve)

Pieter Pourbus (1523–1584) – Follower from the late 17th/early 18th century
The resurrection
Oil on panel, 76 × 49 cm (with frame 91.5 × 59 cm)
Flemish Baroque • Unsigned • No Reserve

Introduction
This panel depicting The Resurrection is a 17th- to 18th-century imitation of the style and iconographic idiom of Pieter Pourbus, the preeminent Bruges painter of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. The refined modeling, careful composition of light, and narrative clarity demonstrate the profound influence of Pourbus on later generations of Flemish painters. From a high-quality Dutch collection, this work represents the continuation of a pictorial tradition that reached a high level of technical and stylistic refinement in the Southern Netherlands from the 16th century onward.

Description of the work
The scene depicts Christ rising from the tomb in a powerful, luminous halo, dressed in a red robe that drapes gracefully around his body and carries a victory banner with a red cross. His elevated position above the tomb creates a strong vertical composition, in which the figure of Christ is centrally placed within a radiant golden-yellow circle of light. This zone of light forms the optical anchor of the entire panel and functions as the symbolic center of the miracle.

Below, the Roman soldiers lie and kneel, struck by the dazzling apparition. Their bodies are rendered in a dynamic interplay of twisting poses, raised arms, and dramatic facial expressions. The artist demonstrates a keen eye for anatomy: the tense muscles, angular poses, and expressive facial colors enhance the dramatic character of the scene. Objects such as shields, helmets, and lances lie scattered at their feet, a classic motif in the Flemish tradition of passion narratives. The whole is set against a dark, rocky background that further intensifies the light surrounding Christ.

Technique & color palette
The work is executed in oil on panel, a medium that reflects the Flemish tradition. The paint is applied thinly and controlled, with transparent glazes that remain visible, particularly in Christ's robe and in the red and ochre tones of the soldiers. The color palette is characteristic of the Flemish Baroque: deep reds and earth tones, cooler greens in the background, and a warm golden-yellow light source that structures the composition. The subtle crackle visible in the skin areas indicates the age of the paint layer and the authentic character of an early modern execution.

Composition & style
The work's structure reflects the iconography of 16th-century Bruges and Antwerp masters, with Pourbus's influence particularly evident in the clearly structured scene, the calm yet powerful figure of Christ, and the restrained anatomy. The spatial arrangement follows the principle of a central heavenly light cast over the figures from an upward perspective, a composition often used in the Flemish Baroque to emphasize the supernatural.

The figures are robustly modeled and display a blend of Renaissance idealization and Baroque drama. This places the piece stylistically in the tradition of Pourbus's followers and contemporaries within Southern Netherlandish painting. Among the national contemporaries of this style are Frans Pourbus the Elder, Pieter Claeissens II, and Otto van Veen. Among the international contemporaries, Jacopo Tintoretto and Federico Barocci, among others, fit within the spectrum shared by this visual language.

The artist and his influence
Pieter Pourbus, originally from Gouda but working in Bruges, was one of the most respected artists of his time, as a portraitist, cartographer, and painter of religious scenes. His style is characterized by a balanced composition, a vibrant use of color, and a refined draftsmanship. His followers from the 17th and 18th centuries—to whom the artist of this panel belongs—continued to embrace his formal language because of the clarity of his iconography and the continued demand for devotional depictions based on his models.

Although this work was not made by Pourbus himself, it clearly reflects the continuity of his influence and the appreciation for his religious pictorial program among later generations of Flemish masters.

Condition
The panel is in stable condition, commensurate with its age. A small section of the panel is missing in the upper left corner, which has been filled in with black-painted dark cardboard. Various retouches are visible under UV light, primarily related to earlier restorations in the soldier sections and background. A few small areas of paint loss are present. The work has recently been superficially cleaned and coated with an extremely thin matte dammar varnish, consolidating the colors and reviving their depth.

Provenance
Coming from a high-quality Dutch private collection, with no recorded market history in the consulted public databases. This provenance aligns with the type of devotional early modern panel paintings that often survived in private collections and ecclesiastical contexts.

Final remarks
This painting offers an exceptional glimpse into the continued influence of the Bruges tradition and the enduring influence of Pieter Pourbus on the religious art of the 17th and 18th centuries. The combination of a powerful composition, impressive lighting, and the carefully crafted pathos of the soldiers makes this a particularly attractive work for collectors of early modern Flemish painting. Its historical allure, devotional significance, and direct visual impact give this imitator's panel a museum-worthy quality and a clear place within the Flemish Baroque painting tradition.

The work "The Resurrection" is in a black wooden frame with a bronze gold finish.

Total dimensions: 91.5x59cm
Panel dimensions: 76x49cm

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