Rating and value of paintings by Abraham Govaerts

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Rating and value of the artist Abraham Govaerts   

Abraham Govaerts was a Dutch painter of the 17th century. A world-famous figure, there are relatively few works attributed to him on the art market, but these are extremely highly prized and well priced.

The bulk of his output revolves around painting, but a few drawings and engravings are also preserved.

Works by Abraham Govaerts are auctioned between €7,000 and €467,400 (attributed to or studio of for the smaller results). His oil on canvas A wooded landscape with a sportsman on a path greeting a hermit near a tree sold for €467,400, against an estimate of €167,000 to €250,300. 

Order of value ranging from a simple work to the most prestigious

Artist's style and technique

Abraham Govaerts is a Flemish specialist in small-format woodland landscapes, often referred to as " cabinet-landscapes ". He inherited the tradition of Gillis van Coninxloo, who used thick trees, dense undergrowth and gnarled trunks in the foreground, with a strong verticality of vegetation.

From 1620, he introduced pure color and sharper light, as well as smoother transitions, and a tendency towards the so-called " brueghelian " miniature. Narrative figures are reduced, with mythological or biblical, hunting or walking scenes integrated but secondary to a dominant landscape.

The medium used is oil on panel, often wood or copper for smaller formats. In terms of color, early works are characterized by dark browns, deep greens and cool blues for the background.

He evolves towards brighter tones, using the technique of light " stippling " (dotted lines) to create finesse and light. The artist uses repoussoir trunks in the foreground, with a landscape opening into a chiaroscuro distance, creating depth and a passing effect.

Govaerts works collaboratively : he provides the landscapes, and other artists (portraits, figures, hunters) complete the scenes, a frequent practice in the Flemish period.

The life of Abraham Govaerts

Abraham Govaerts (1589 - 1626) was baptized on August 30, 1589 in Antwerp, Belgium. He was the son of Willem Govaerts, a dealer in paintings and old clothes, and Elisabeth Yselstein.

There is no definite documentation of a formal apprenticeship workshop, but the influence of Jan Brueghel the Elder is evident in his early works, leading to the conjecture of a stint in this workshop without factual evidence.

Between 1607 and 1608, he entered the Guilde de Saint-Luc d'Anvers as a master. In 1609, he acquired two houses on St. Jansstraat in Antwerp, close to the family home. He married Isabella Gielis in Antwerp on February 9, 1622. They had two daughters, Isabella and Suzanna.

His notable pupils included Alexander Keirincx (c. 1617), Nicolaes Aertens and Gysbrecht van der Berch. In 1623, he was elected Dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke. He died on September 9, 1626 in Antwerp during an epidemic.

Several unfinished works were completed by other artists, including Jasper van der Lanen or Frans Francken II after his death.

Focus on Wooded Landscape with Hunters and Fortune-Teller, circa 1620

This oil on panel, dated 1620, is typical of Govaerts' " cabinet " landscapes. The reduced format favors a particular visual experience : the eye is invited to enter a dense undergrowth, framed by tall, repulsive trunks.

The foreground is dominated by a sturdy, twisting tree on the right, which acts as a repulsor and guides the eye to a more open middle ground, then to the light background. This scheme recalls the Flemish tradition inherited from Gillis van Coninxloo.

The artist's palette is evolving : in his early days, Govaerts used the traditional " three-colour world landscape " (brown earth, greenery and distant blue). Here, we see a softer light, a purer palette and a lighter touch from 1620.

Human figures (hunters, diviner) are integrated but remain secondary. They are punctual, almost anecdotal, in a landscape that remains the protagonist. This cohabitation reflects Govaerts' frequent collaboration with figure painters.

The medium used is oil on panel, a choice that allows for fine paint application and fine detail. The paint is applied in multiple layers. The deep shadows of the foreground are laid down, then come lighter layers of light on the leaves and distant sky.

The modeling sometimes uses " stippling " (punctuated treatments) to achieve a delicate texture. The treatment of light is careful : light touches settle in the background to open up the landscape, contrasting with the dark foreground ; the dramatic effect is mastered.

Collaboration with other artists is an important technical and studio datum, Govaerts creates the landscape while other figurists contribute the figures and animals. This demands coordination in terms of planes, light and visual rhythm.

The work combines the descriptive realism of Flemish undergrowth with a poetic aspiration towards the infinity of the landscape. The hunter and the soothsayer introduce a narrative element, but it's not the narrative that takes precedence, it's the invitation to visually navigate nature.

The contrast between the dense shadow of the foreground and the clarity that escapes into the background suggests a metaphorical depth, with an entry into mystery and then an opening towards the horizon.

We can read a desire to merge nature and civilization, insofar as the human figures are small but present, in a landscape that remains sovereign. This relationship evokes the conception of landscape as a reflection of man, a frequent theme in Flemish Baroque painting.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Abraham Govaerts doesn't always sign his paintings, and many on the market are attributed to his followers (this is not to say that the paintings have no value). Whatever happens, for this artist, the intervention of a dedicated expert is mandatory.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by Abraham Govaerts, request a free appraisal without further delay via our form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, as well as ad hoc information about it.

If you are considering selling your work, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives for selling it at the best possible price.