Auction: 11 days
As of May 18, 2026
Cornelis Schut the Elder (Flemish, 1597-1655) Coronation of the Virgin, after Rubens Oil on copper 14 x 11 inches (35.6 x 27.9 cm) PROVENANCE: Ewa Anna Wanda Fink, Raciechowice, Kraków, Poland, 1884, wedding gift from either her mother or grandmother; By descent to her son, Major Michal Woysym Antoniewicz (1897-1989), Warsaw, Poland and Austin, Texas; Thence by descent to the present owner, Burlington, North Carolina. Cornelis Schut, born in Antwerp, likely trained under the prolific Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) before entering the Antwerp painters' guild in 1618. Rubens's influence remained central to his work, and many of Schut's paintings—including the present example on a luminous copper panel—reflect a clear admiration for his teacher's style. This composition is Schut's faithful small-scale interpretation of Rubens's monumental Coronation of the Virgin, painted with his workshop around 1624–26 for the Minderbroederskerk in Antwerp (now in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, inv. no. 162). In translating this grand vision into an intimate format, Schut retains the dynamic energy and devotional character of the original. In 1623–24, Schut traveled to Italy, where exposure to Italian art left a lasting impression on his work—much as it had on Rubens before him. During this period, he expanded both the scale and ambition of his practice, painting frescoes for a villa in Frascati, working on large mythological compositions, and designing tapestries in Florence for the Arazzeria Medicea. By 1630, Schut had returned to Antwerp and rejoined its active artistic circles. He collaborated with Rubens and his studio, including on the triumphal arches erected for the ceremonial entry of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, and produced significant religious works for churches and monasteries. The present painting was likely made after his return, as Rubens's original would not have been completed before Schut left for Italy; it was probably intended for a private patron. The painting will be accompanied by a vintage photograph of former owner, Michal Antoniewicz, a major of the Polish Army cavalry and accomplished horseman. The photograph captures him participating in an equestrian event in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, where he won silver and bronze medals, becoming the first Polish athlete to earn two Olympic medals. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice
Ewa Anna Wanda Fink, Raciechowice, Kraków, Poland, 1884, wedding gift from either her mother or grandmother; By descent to her son, Major Michal Woysym Antoniewicz (1897-1989), Warsaw, Poland and Austin, Texas; Thence by descent to the current owner, Burlington, North Carolina.
Framed Dimensions 18.75 X 15.75 Inches