Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael Haarlem 1628/9 - 1682 Amsterdam

Robert Williams (1811-1890), Bridehead, Dorchester London, by 1878;
His son Colonel Sir Robert Williams, 1st Bt. (1848-1943), Bridehead, Dorchester, Dorset and London;
His sale, London, Christie's, 23 June 1933, lot 40, £388. 10s. to Frost and Reed;
Christopher Wade;
Thence by inheritance.

London, Royal Academy, 1878, no. 114 (lent by Robert Williams).

C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné..., vol. IV, London 1912, p. 183, no. 577b;
S. Slive,  Jacob van Ruisdael. A complete catalogue of his Paintings, Drawings and Etchings, New Haven and London 2001, p. 290, no. 378.

The canvas has been fairly recently relined and the relining is sound. The paint surface is quite dirty and covered by a thick discoloured varnish. Beneath the varnish however, the paint surface is well preserved. Close inspection of the surface is rather inhibited by the thick varnish but there appears to have been some light strengthening to some small localised areas of the sky. Inspection under ultra-violet light is also impeded by the varnish but does perhaps reveals signs of some light retouching in the foreground. Sold with a later parcel-gilt frame in fair condition. AF*
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Dated by Slive (see Literature) to around 1655, this landscape has been untraced for over seventy years. Sir Robert Williams (1848-1943) owned a small but select group of Dutch 17th-century landscapes, including Hobbema's Cottages among trees.¹  His collection included two other Ruisdaels, a Waterfall last recorded in the Koelling collection in the Netherlands, and a Wooded landscape with a house now in a private collection.²

1  G. Broulhiet, Meindert Hobbema, Paris 1938, p. 405, no. 214, reproduced.
2  Slive, op. cit., nos. 240 and 448, reproduced.