Melchior d'Hondecoeter

Paul Wallraf, London;
By whose Executors sold, London, Christie's, 23 July 1982, lot 51;
With Johnny van Haeften, London (according to an inscription on the reverse).

The actual painting is a little warmer in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The canvas is relined (glue). The paint surface seems to be in good condition and is under a clear layer of varnish, and has a craquelure pattern that varies in places. Inspection under UV light reveals tiny scattered retouchings in the monkey, mainly following the craquelure pattern. Furthermore, the sky is more extensively retouched and it is not obvious why this should be so. Offered in a ebonised wood frame in good condition. (ML)
"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."

While Melchior d'Hondecoeter may well be considered as the most important painter of bird and fowl paintings of the 17^th Century, for this painting he has chosen a mischievous Diana Monkey as a prime subject. The Diana Monkey, or Cercopithecus diana, which can still be found in West Africa, from Sierra Leone to the Ivory Coast, owes its common name to his white, crescent-shaped brow band, since it was held to resemble the bow of the goddess Diana. Through the expeditions in the 17th Century of the Dutch East and West Indian Companies, many of these exotic animals from the 'New World' ended up in the Dutch Republic, and either were displayed at fairs, or became part of a menagerie of an important public figure. The Stadholder Prince Maurits of Orange, for instance, was given a cassowary from Batavia in 1614, which was held captive in the city garden in The Hague.¹ These animals proved to be interesting study material for many artists, and thus Melchior d'Hondecoeter must have spent many hours studying these exotic birds and other animals. The present monkey no doubt was one of those study objects, as its leash around its waist indicates that it was kept in captivity.

At the end of the 17^th Century, d'Hondecoeter was asked to paint two large paintings for the Stadholder King Willem III, intended for the new built wing at his residence, Paleis Het Loo. One representing Exotic animals, now owned by the Mauritshuis, The Hague (inv. no. 60), but currently on longstanding loan to its original surroundings of Het Loo, and another representing A Menagerie of birds and monkeys, now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. A173).² The Exotic animals were thought to have come from the menagerie of the Stadholder himself, and it would be tempting to believe in a connection between the monkeys in the Rijksmuseum painting,³ and our monkey as well. However, the Rijksmuseum monkeys are of a different species (squirrel monkeys) and, more importantly, no records show that the Diana Monkey painting was intended for Het Loo. It is therefore much more likely that d'Hondecoeter painted the present painting for a different occasion, probably in Amsterdam.

1. See B.C. Sliggers, A.A. Wertheim, Een vorstelijke dierentuin : de menagerie van Willem V, Zutphen 1994, p. 65.
2. See H.R. Hoetink (ed.), The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, Amsterdam 1985, p. 379, cat. no. 60., and P.J.J. van Thiel, Alle schilderijen van het Rijksmuseum te Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1976, p. 282, cat. no. A173.
3. Recently exhibited at the Rijksmuseum, see Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Melchior d'Hondecoeter, Gevogelte, 18 December 2008 - 16 March 2009.