Ludwig Borchardt (1863–1938), Basel;

His widow, Emilie, 🅘née Cohen (1877–1948);

By whom sold, Lucerne, Galerie Fischer, 20–24 May 1941, lot 1🍌027 (as Flemish School);

With Charles Albert de Burlet, Basel;

Private Collection, Switzerland;

With Robert Noortman, Maastricht;

Acquired from the above by the present owner.

Rotterdam, Boymans Museum van Beuningen, Olieverfschetsen van Rubens, 1953–54, no. 59;

Antwerp, Rubenshuis, 2004–08, on loan.

E. Haverkamp Begemann, in the exhibition catalogue, Olieverfschetsen van Rubens, 1953–54, p. 75, no. 59;

M. Jaffé, 'Rubens at Rotterdam', in The Burlington Magazine, CXVI, 1954, p. 57;

J. S. Held, The Oil Sketches of Peter Paul Rubens: A critical catalogue, Princeton 1980, vol. I, pp.💜 441–442, no. 318, reproduced vol. II, p. 315;

M. Jaffé, Rubens, Milan 198🍨9, 🔥p. 306, cat. no. 918, reproduced;

H. Devisscher, The Annunciation. A new oil sketch for the Rubenshuis, Antwerp 2004;

To be included in forthcoming volume V/1 of the Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard: The Life of Christ before the Passion, by H. Vlieghe and H. ꦚDevisscher, as no. 3a,♌ currently in preparation.

The following condition report is provided by Hamish Dewar who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: Structural Condition The artist's panel has been cradled and this has successfully secured and stabilised two horizontal repaired splits. These are approximately 11 cm from the upper framing edge and approximately 15 cm above the lower horizontal framing edge. These repairs are only just visible in a strong raking light and are not visually distracting. Paint surface The paint surface has an even varnish layer. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows thin lines of retouching along the two horizontal repairs to the panel mentioned above. The retouching along the upper repair is approximately 5 cm in length whereas the retouching on the lower of the two repairs runs across the width of paint surface. There would appear to be very few other retouchings with just very small scattered spots of inpainting being visible under ultra-violet light. The fine detail of the painting would appear to be remarkably well preserved. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in very good and stable condition and no further work is required.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

十七世紀佛蘭芒畫家彼得·保羅·魯本斯爵士無疑是歐洲巴洛克藝術時期最傑出的名師。其筆下營造出的戲劇性、動態和人物精神都盡顯在此幅作品中。此畫為一幅相同題材大型祭壇畫的初稿，魯本斯於1628或1629年將此祭壇畫售予知名西班牙藏家萊卡內斯侯爵迭戈·梅西亞，所以斷定畫幅為此年份以前作品，現藏安特衛普的魯本斯博物館。而這幅初稿流露出其早年較活潑的風格，相信早於1614至1615年便已開始繪之，呈現出藝術家對此作品的最初構想。魯本斯在這小尺寸畫板上一揮而就，展現出驚人的畫工。其構思在之後正式的大幅畫作中又有所改變。此幅畫中的瑪利亞與尋常女子無異，正專注於自己的針線活，身後瓶中花朵正代表了她的純潔貞德。