Madonna and child in a cartouche.

Drawing, pen and brown ink, red chalk, with brown and white wash, 18,6 x 15,2 cm, laid paper, (trimmed rather short, some grey stains).

Tipped by upper corners under passe-partout.

Design of a decorative Baroque cartouche with strapwork ornament around a seated Madonna with the Christ child. With handwritten text in lower cartouche "Miroir Sans Tache Originelle". Attributed on the passe-partout to Theodoor van Thulden (1606-1669). Given the style of the cartouche and manner of rendering, an earlier attribution on the verso to Erasmus Quellinus (1607-1678) seems more likely. The name "Quelinus" is written by a 17th-century hand with pen and brown ink on verso. Different elements such as the two flanking cherubs appear in other work by the Antwerp artist. In addition, Quellinus was known for his religious paintings of the Madonna in a cartouche, adorned with sumptuous flower garlands.
Prov. Hans Van Leeuwen (1911-2020), conductor of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw (coll. stamp verso L. 2799a). - Christie's sale 13/11/1995, no. 30.