218. Joos de Momper (Antwerp, 1564-1635) and Jan Brueghel the Elder (Brussels 1568-1635 Antwerp) Grotto with Religious Service and Panoramic View oil on panel, reverse marked with the Antwerp cathedral and hands and panel maker's mark Guilliam Aertssen oil on panel, the reverse stamped with the castle and hands of Antwerp 55.5 x 97.5cm (21 7/8 x 38 3/8in). Provenance Collection of Thomas Green, Ladbrook His sale, Christies 1819 (bt. Cubitt) With Cubitt, from whom acquired by Collection of W. T. Hartcup (1848-1911) and by descent until offered His sale, Phillips, London, 13 May 1986, lot 47 (as Property of a Gentleman) With De Jonckheere, Paris, where purchased by the present owner in 1990 Private Collection, Spain Literature K. Ertz, Josse de Momper der Jungere (1564-1635), Freren, 1986, p. 594, no. 475, ill. This collaboration between Joos de Momper and Jan Brueghel the Elder showcases their combined mastery of landscape and figure painting. The present work shows a fantastical rocky cave, with foliage and lighting that evokes a sacred atmosphere. De Momper's skill in rendering dramatic, rugged landscapes is perfectly complemented by Brueghel's delicate figures, which add a human element to the otherwise sublime setting. We are grateful to the RKD Marks on Art for identifying the panel makers mark of Guilliam Aertssen and for dating it to after 1618. The Antwerp brand dates to 1617-1626.