Artus Wolfaerts and Workshop

(Antwerp 1581–1641)
The Last Supper,
oil on canvas, 147 x 245 cm, framed

Provenance:
Convent of the Franciscans, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz;
Private collection, Germany
We are grateful to Hans Vlieghe for confirming the attribution after inspection of the present painting in the original. A written certificate (in photocopy) accompanies the present painting.

Hans Vlieghe compares the head types of the apostles in the present painting with Wolfaerts’s numerous compositions featuring individual head studies of apostles. Vlieghe writes: ‘There exists a second version of this painting, which is somewhat smaller (117 x 166 cm) and conserved in a private collection. In fact, there are many compositions by Wolfaerts of which several variants are known and which frequently differ in terms of quality and dimensions, thus suggesting a flourishing workshop whose assistants supported Wolfaert to a greater or lesser extent. This also seems to hold true for the present painting.’ Vlieghe dates the present Last Supper to the artist’s same, slightly later, period around 1630.

Artus Wolfaert was trained by Peter Paul Rubens’ teacher Otto van Veen and later assisted Rubens on some of his commissions. After Van Veen’s death in 1629, Wolfaert’s style changes and falls more under the influence of Rubens which is evident in the present composition. One well- known assistant working in Wolfaerts’ workshop was Peter van Lint (1609-1690) who was active there around 1625/29.