YAPID (Yet Another Painting ID)

[beamjockey]

A friend has inherited a house. She found this painting there. I have only one snapshot of it at the moment.

It shows a Madonna mother and child reading a book, while angels look on. We are all wondering what value the painting may have. The family doesn't know the artist or the date of the painting. It is possible that documentation may turn up as she goes through the house. Better photos might also be obtained. There appear to be five large pinkish blobs of damage near the lower center of the painting.

Do you know when this might have been painted, or by whom? Are there clues in the style? Is it likely original, or is it an imitation of a better-known painting?

There must be plenty of people on the Net more knowledgeable about art than I. Probably I am not many handshakes away from some of them.

If you know someone who might be able to comment, please pass a link along.


Click on any picture to see a higher-resolution version.


4 April 2011-- Edited to add: The owner has requested that I remove images of the painting. bluejo's aunt was kind enough to point out that the painting depicts "Education of the Virgin;" the child is Mary, the mom is St. Anna (or Anne), and the bearded man is Mary's father, St. Joachim. She adds, "It looks Spanish seventeenth century."

Comments

[marsgov.livejournal.com]

They key is that guy in the lower right-hand corner. For some reason he looks familiar... I'm reminded of a famous Reneissance-ear painter who sometimes had (across several paintings) this same old guy.

Looked a bit, doesn't seem to be Rembrandt although that's who came to mind.

Is there some reason to believe this is actually a valuable painting?

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

You're right. Thanks to papersky's aunt, quoted below, we now know that the guy is St. Joachim, father of Mary and grandfather of Jesus, so you have probably seen him in other paintings.

Is there some reason to believe this is actually a valuable painting?

The deceased relative was the last of several generations of creative, world-traveling people to dwell in that house. It contains many odd, potentially valuable, and dangerous things. For example, there was a kit for a motorcycle that was never assembled. From 1913.

My friend is trying to sort through mineral specimens, antique tools, art objects, ammunition, and so forth. I can't tell you anything more about this particular painting.