Three sales in Paris on 11 June

8/6/25 - Paris - Marché de l’art -

• Christie’s Paris : from Haarlem to Versailles

It was an honour to be the standard bearer of the guard, an honour that meant becoming the enemy’s prime target, and was therefore reserved for single men... The standard bearer of the Haarlem civic guard looks impressive, painted two metres high in a brightly coloured costume, his hand on his hip, his bearing haughty, his calf well-shaped and the flag twirling (ill. 1).

1. Cornelis van Haarlem (1562-1638)
Presumed Portrait of Cornelis Jacobsz. Schout
as Standard Bearer of the Haarlem Civil Guard, 1592
Oil on canvas - 206 x 142 cm
Sale Christie’s Paris, 11 June 2025
Photo: Christie’s

See the image in its page

Put up for sale by Christie’s on 11 June, this sumptuous portrait painted by Cornelis van Haarlem comes from the Château de Vaux-sur-Seine, owned by Carlo Marochetti, who was both a sculptor and a collector. The model has been identified, as he also appears among the members of the Haarlem civic guard represented earlier, in 1583, by the same artist, in a painting kept at the Frans Hals Museum. His baby face pierced by blue eyes is recognisable in the assembly; he does not yet take on the role of the standard-bearer boldly presented from behind, but stands out for his white silk jacket and his gesture: he holds his hand out to his interlocutor and points to himself with his left hand. This is therefore likely to be Cornelis Schout, who was also painted by Frans Hals years later, in 1661, in another group portrait; he is accompanied by his son Jacob, who has also become a standard bearer, with whom he exchanges a glance.

2. Adriaen Isenbrandt (c. 1480⁄1490-1551)
Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist
Closed triptych: The Annunciation
Oil on panels - 99.2 x 143.2 cm
Sale Christie’s Paris, 11 June 2025
Photo: Christie’s

See the image in its page

Another major piece in the sale, a triptych by Adrien…