Rouen’s Musée des Beaux-Arts Acquires a Rare and Dramatic 17th Century French Painting

Lot 29. ADRIEN SACQUESPEE (CAUDEBEC-EN-CAUX 1629-1692)
Christ en croix
signé et daté ‘Sacquespe pinxit./.1656’ (sur le pied de la croix)
huile sur toile: 83 x 49 cm.
Estimate: €15,000-20,000 ($20,642-27,523). This lot sold for a hammer price of €14,000 (or €17,500 with the buyer’s premium – $24,091).

Rouen’s Musée des Beaux-Arts today purchased Adrien Sacquespee’s Mannerist Christ on the Cross at Christie’s sale of Old Master paintings in Paris, according to the Art Tribune. It’s a striking and dramatic work, believed to be one of the artist’s earliest 20 or so known works (some signed). In the 1640’s he was a pupil of François Garnier, but he returned to Normandy and made his career in Rouen.  Most of his work is found in Norman churches and the museum.

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rouen

This work joins six others in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, including the Martyrdom of St. Adrian (below), The Apparition of Christ to St. Peter (1667), Christ mourned by the Virgin and St. John (formerly known Descent from the Cross – c.1670-80), Chartreux buried under the snow (c.1670-75), Saint Bruno in prayer (1671), and Eternal Father (before 1692).

Martyrdom of St. Adrian, 1659.

Although he’s considered “provincial” he does have a flair for the dramatic – just look at Saint Mathurin exorcising the Empress Theodora, Abbey Saint-Ouen in Rouen (below) – who doesn’t like a good exorcism?

Saint Mathurin exorcising the Empress Theodora, Abbey Saint-Ouen in Rouen