Before the Redesign in the 19th Century
Antwerp, The Marriage Hall at the Town of. La Salle des Marriages a l’Hôtel de Ville d’Anvers. Dominating the large fireplace by Cornelis Floris de Vriendt II (1514 Antwerp 1575) with the two carytides sculptured in alabaster by Floris himself. With two visitors and a guard with halberd. Color lithograph by François Stroobant (Brussels 1819 – Elsene 1916). Inscribed: F. S. 1853 (in reverse) / F. Stroobant del. et lith. / C. Muquardt, éditeur. / Imp. Simonau & Toovey, Bruxelles., otherwise (erroneously) in French, German, and English as below. 34.4 x 22.3 cm.
Boetticher II/2, 855. – “Belgian architectural painter … known by works and drawings to art history, especially of his homeland. Several drawings lithographed by himself .” So the present one , too . – The not entirely wrong designation here – Chimney-Piece in the Town Hall of Antwerp – exchanged by mistake for the one of that sujet.
“ By his city hall (in Antwerp) F(loris) created the authoritative type for the whole Netherlands … The architecural element more and more gets the upper hand of the decorative and by condensation of all available elements a new universal decoration style emerges, which aspires to highest general and individual effect … So F. has set up a new type … ‘Under Floris style one downright means all elements of High Renaissance in the Netherlands’ (Klapheck) ”
(B. C. Kreplin, Thieme-Becker XII, p. 122 f.).
In the second half of the 19th cent. the Marriage Hall was distinctly redesigned by the addition of several murals, replacement of the allegory with Poseidon above the mantlepiece by a relief of similar content, and removal of the carved balustrade. Here in such a manner still in its
original form showing the chimney far better .
Offer no. 15,504 / EUR 178. (c. US$ 242.) + shipping
“ It came! My plate [already documented as lost] was delivered and it is in excellent condition. I cannot explain all of the delays or what happened. It is in the original packaging that you described and it was delivered by DHL, not the postal service (as far as I can tell – it was left on the porch [!!]). So thank you and so glad that this long story has such a nice ending. It was nice dealing with you, thank you for the plate! ”
(Mrs. J. C., May 8, 2010)