Frans Franken II (1581-1641) and workshop, The Wedding at Cana

Oil on copper, 44 cm by 35.5 cm.
Frame, 53 cm by 44 cm.

Our painting depicts a scene from the wedding at Cana, a subject often found in the work of the Franckens. Another version of our painting, of the same dimensions with some variations, is known, sold on October 3, 2001 (probably wrongly attributed to Frans III Francken because it was dated 1618; Frans Francken III was 11 years old at the time). It was more likely Frans II and the workshop. It is of high quality, note the folds in the copper.

Frans Franken II (1581-1641)

Frans II the Younger (Antwerp 1581 – id. 1641). Son of Frans I, he is the most renowned painter of the Francken dynasty. He became a free master in 1605, then dean in 1614 and excelled in the most diverse genres, specializing in the painting of small and medium-sized pictures (the Amateur Cabinet of Sebastian Leerse, Antwerp Museum), which he often enriched with biblical, mythological and historical scenes with numerous characters: Achilles recognized by Ulysses, A Prince Visiting the Treasury of a Church (1633, Louvre), The Feast at the Burgomaster Rockox's (Munich, Alte Pin.), The Story of Croesus and Solon (Brussels, MRBA). Working at first under the influence of his father, he very quickly acquired a personal style, characterized by the flexibility of the composition, the brilliance of the execution, the warm richness of the colors and the graceful elegance of the forms. He excelled in small grisailles, sometimes arranged all around a main colored scene to represent secondary episodes. He is easily recognized by his very particular way of executing the eyes of his characters with black dots, in delicate faces: the Prodigal Son (Karlsruhe Museum, 1633, Louvre), the Triumph of Amphitrite (Sarasota, Ringling Museum), Witches' Sabbath, the Crucifixion (Vienna, KM), the Supper of King Midas (Brunswick, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum), Allegory of Fortune (Compiègne), the Israelites crossing the Red Sea (1621, Hamburg, Kunsthalle), a group of 15 works at the Prado — including a series of 12 paintings of the History of the Old Testament —, Eteocles and Polynices, Miracle at the Tomb of Saint Bruno, the [OE]Works of Mercy. Triptych of the Four Crowned Ones (1624, Antwerp Museum). Until 1616, the date of his father's death, he signed "De Jon F. Franck" or "De Jonge Frans Francken", then, after 1628 or so, when his son Frans III began to paint, he took up his father's signature: "De Oude Frans Francken". (Source: Larousse)