House Altar circa 1675

Southern Netherlandish | Brabant
Baroque | Second half of the 17th Century | Ca. 1675
Oak | Carved in high relief
H. 99 cm. W. 65 cm. D. 15 cm. | On later metal base

PROVENANCE
Private collection | Uden | The Netherlandish

REFERENCE LITERATURE
Exhibition catalogue (1971). Europäische Barockplastik am Niederrhein. Grupello und seine Zeit. Düsseldorf, pp. 278-2795, ill. 158

CATALOGUE NOTE
This small house altar was designed as the focus of private prayer at home, housing a religious sculpture and its architectural frame mimics the full-scale design for altars and altarpieces that would have been found in South Netherlandish churches at that time. This house altar especially shows similarity to the architectural sculpture by the Brabant sculptor and architect Jan van Delen (Brussels, ca. 1635 – Brussels, 1703). Notable are the confessionals in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brusels (1971, pp. 278-2795). Van Delen He took part in the reconstruction of the Grand Place (or Grote Markt) of Brussels. Van Delen was a son of Hendrik van Delen, falconer at the court of the Governors. He was apprenticed to the well known Malines sculptor Lucas Faydherbe. Van Delen worked in the Dutch Republic, Germany and especially Italy, among other places. After his return he was given the poorterschap (citizenship) of his native city of Brussels free of charge om 21 June 1664 because of his talent. The same year he became a master of the guild of the Vier Gekroonden, the Guild of sculptors. In 1666 he married the daughter of his former master Faydherbe. He became court sculptor to King Charles II of Spain in 1675 and died in 1703. As such, an origin of the present House Altar in the Brabant or Brussels region, in the second half of the 17th century around ca. 1675 or even in Van Delen’s workshop appears plausible.