Abraham and the Three Angels

Abraham and the Three Angels

about 1495-1500
Artist
Josse Lieferinxe, Flemish, French, blank
Object
painting
Medium
Oil paint on panel
Accession Number
1961.158
Credit Line
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation

Josse Lieferinxe, Abraham and the Three Angels, about 1495–1500. Oil paint on panel; 18 1/2 × 26 1/2 in. (47 × 67.3 cm). Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1961.158

Dimensions
image height: 18 1/2 in, 46.9900 cm; image width: 26 1/2 in, 67.3100 cm; sight height: 17 3/4 in, 45.0850 cm; sight width: 26 in, 66.0400 cm; frame height: 24 5/8 in, 62.5475 cm; frame width: 32 7/8 in, 83.5025 cm; frame depth: 2 3/4 in, 6.9850 cm; frame
Department
European and American Art Before 1900
Collection
European Painting and Sculpture before 1900
Known Provenance
Vicomte Bernard d' Hendecourt, Paris and London; possibly (his sale, Sotheby's, London, 8 May 1929, no. 110 as Italian School, Angels in the House of Abraham).[1] (Anonymous sale, Sotheby's, London, 9 May 1934, no.136 as Attributed to Antonello da Messina); (Guiseppi Bellesi, London). [2] (Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi [1878 1955] Rome Florence); sold to Samuel H. Kress [1863 1955] on 10 October 1935 as Antonello da Saliba; gift to the National Gallery of Art in 1939; deaccessioned in 1952 and returned to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation; gift to Denver Art Museum, no. 1961.158. [1]The dimensions in the sale catalogue do not match those of the Denver picture, but given the unusual subject and the association of the Denver picture with Hendecourt, a dealer in Paris also associated with Durlacher Brothers, London, it is possible that the picture in the 1929 sale is that now in Denver. [2]Printed buyer list insert gives the buyer as Bellisi, but this is almost certainly a misspelling and refers to the dealer Guiseppi Bellesi who was active in London at that time and often sold to Contini. Provenance research is on-going at the Denver Art Museum and we will post information as it becomes available. Please e-mail provenance@denverartmuseum.org, if you have questions, or if you have additional information to share with us.
Exhibition History
  • "Jan van Eyck, Early Netherlandish Painting and Southern Europe"—Groeningemuseum, Bruges, 03/15/2002 - 06/30/2002
  • “The Light Show” — Denver Art Museum, 5/19/2019 – 3/7/2021