(Antwerp 1601–1678) and Jan Quellinus (Antwerp 1607–1678) Mary Magdalene in a wreath of flowers, oil on panel, 64 x 49.2 cm, framed

Certificate: Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen (29 August 2008). In a magnificent floral wreath executed by Jan Brueghel the Younger in delicate glazes and with the technical perfection for which he became so famous, the pentitent Mary Magdalene is depicted within a protruding oval. The details of the figure are delicately rendered as well, with individual elements of the composition being almost reminiscent of a still life, such as the skull beneath her folded hands, and impressive because of their illusion of depth. The exuberant garland of flowers, with its jewel-like colours set off against the black background, is contrasted with Erasmus Quellinus’ rigidly composed scene, already announcing the period of High Baroque in Antwerp. The present painting is an important document attesting to the collaboration between Brueghel and his Antwerp colleague. The fact that his skills as a flower painter and landscapist were highly appreciated in Antwerp as a city rich in such “specialists” even by masters like Peter Paul Rubens, underscores Brueghel’s great significance. The present panel is one of the rare examples of a joint effort by Brueghel and Erasmus Quellinus; the latter, who was strongly influenced by Rubens and Van Dyck, numbered among the town’s renowned artists and most important history painters. As sources reveal little information about the intensity of the collaboration between these two painters, this composition is an important proof of the cooperation between these high-ranking Flemish masters. As to the dating: Quellinus was not admitted as a master to the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke before 1632, so that it is unlikely that he had collaborated with Brueghel before, who had been the guild’s president from 1630 onwards. For that reason and on stylistic grounds, Dr. Ertz dates our painting around 1632.