Jacob Jordaens 1593-1678 drawings

Finally, an exceptional work by Jordaens.

Jacob Jordaens (Antwerp 1593-1678)

Study of a man seen from behind

black, red and white chalk on light brown paper

18¼ x 12¼ in. (46.3 x 31.1 cm.)

sold $ 290,000 in 2011

Jacob Jordaens (Antwerp 1593-1678)

A triton blowing his horn: Study for The gifts of the sea

black, red and white chalk, indistinct watermark

14 7/8 x 9 3/8 in. (37.9 x 23.9 cm.)

sold GBP 23,000 in 2015

A preparatory study for one of Jordaens’s most enduringly popular compositions, As the old sang, so the young pipe, which survives in several versions: this drawing relates to the great picture in Antwerp (1638; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp; Fig. 1). With the bagpipes indicated only with the faintest strokes of black chalk, this drawing focuses on the character of the young piper himself, with the humanity and humour typical of Jordaens’s genre drawings. The face is so individualised that, when I.Q. van Regteren Altena bought the drawing, it was thought to be a self portrait of the artist. However, there can be no doubt about its connection with the celebrated picture, and the link with the composition had been known from an early date

Jacob Jordaens (Antwerp 1593-1678)

The head of a piper: Study for As the old sang, so the young pipe

black, red and white chalk, brown ink framing lines

6 1/8 x 5 ½ in. (15.5 x 14 cm.)

sold GBP 105,000 in 2014

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