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The Young Christ as the Good Shepherd

Workshop of: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682)

Medium/Technique Oil on canvas
Dimensions 55 x 39.7 cm (21 5/8 x 15 5/8 in.)
Credit Line Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf J. Heinemann
Accession Number58.1425
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsPaintings

Provenance1844, Jeremiah Harman (b. 1764 - d. 1844), London; May 17-18, 1844, posthumous Harman sale, Christie's, London, lot 31, to Mr. Stewart for £294; by descent to his son, Colonel William Stewart [see note 1]. With Paul Bottenwieser, Berlin (?) [see note 2]. By 1954, Rudolf J. Heinemann (d. 1975) and Lore (Mrs. Rudolf J.) Heinemann (d. 1996), New York [see note 3]; 1958, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf J. Heinemann to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 30, 1958)

NOTES:
[1] At the time of the painting's acquisition, Harry A. Brooks of Knoedler, New York, wrote to Rudolf Heinemann (December 19, 1958) that the it was well-known, having belonged to Colonel Drax and the Royal Collections of France, and having "appeared at an auction in 1911." The dealer Frederick Mont also wrote (December 15, 1958) that the painting was well known to him, and that it had been in the collections of Colonel Drax and Louis Philippe. These details have not been onfirmed; however, in 1791, Louis-Philippe-Joseph (b. 1747 - d. 1793), Duc d'Orléans, sold a large group of paintings to Edouard Walkiers, a Brussels banker, for François de Laborde-Méréville. Méréville emigrated to England and sold the collection to Jeremiah Harman in 1793. Whether this painting was among the group of works is not known. It is, however, plausibly identified with Murillo's "Good Shepherd" sold in the Harman auction to Stewart. See Charles B. Curtis, "Velazquez and Murillo" (London, 1883), p. 187, nos. 173g - 173h and p. 385.

[2] A label on the reverse of the painting stretcher from the packing company Chenue, London, reads "Bottenwieser \ (Heinemann)." "P B" (Paul Bottenwieser?) is also written twice on the stretcher. Whether Bottonwieser played a role in the exhibition or sale of this painting is not known. The painting stretcher bears customs stamps from France and Switzerland.

[3] Rudolf Heinemann consigned the painting to M. Knoedler and Co. on December 21, 1954, no. CA4720. Commission book 5a, no. 4720, p. 96 (Getty Provenance Index, M. Knoedler and Co. Records).