(Antwerp 1611 – after 1661)
(Antwerp 1581–1642)
The Departure of the Israelites from Egypt,
oil on copper, 58 x 77.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private collection, France

Ursula Härting confirmed the present painting as a collaborative work by Hieronymus Francken III and his father, Frans Francken II (a copy of the written communication, 1 October 2007 is available). Härting writes: ‘This colourful and detailed painting of the Israelites’ departure from Egypt, which is known to me in the original, is a work by the small figure painter Hieronymus Francken III. His father, the well-known Antwerp master Frans Francken II, added the still life composed of precious vases and jewellery. Such a collaboration between artists was a characteristic feature of that time […]. It seems that the present composition was developed by Hieronymus independently of his father, for several versions of this subject by his hand illustrating the exodus from Egypt have survived. Showing magnificent still lifes, each of them contains an obelisk identifying the scene as being set in Egypt.’

A version of the present composition executed by Cornelis de Baellieur (1607–1661) was sold at Lempertz, Cologne, on 18 May 2019 as lot 1254.