Attributed to Gerard Houckgeest

Possibly Amsterdam, Collection Six, 1900;
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 10 July 1923, lot 4;
Mrs. van Rijckevorsel-Courbois, Nijmegen;
Anonymous sale, Cologne, Lempertz, 20 November 1986, lot 74.

The Hague, Oranje-Nassau tentoonstelling in de Gothische zaal, September 1923, (exhibited in the exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina);
Utrecht, Aartsbisschoppelijke Musea, no. 230 (on loan, not mentioned in the catalogue of 1948).

Possibly H. Jantzen, Das Niederländische Architecturbild, Leipzig 1910, no. 185 (as in the Six Collection, Amsterdam);
L. de Vries, 'Gerard Houckgeest', in Jahrbuch der Hamburger Kunstsammlungen, XX, 1975, no. 50;
A.K. Wheelock, Perspective, Optics and Delft Artists Around 1650, New York 1977, p. 248, no. 3;
General Catalogue of the Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague 1977, p. 120, under cat. no. 58;
W. Liedtke, Architectural Painting in Delft, Doornspijk 1982, p. 100, no. 6e.

The actual painting is more red and lighter in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests.The canvas is relined. The inner part of the frame seems to be attached to the outer edge of the canvas. The paint surface appears to be in very good condition. A little thiness can be observed in the figures. The paint surface has a fine craquelure pattern and is under a thick, slighlty yellowed varnish layer. Tiny discoloured retouchings can be seen upper left and upper right in the centre. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals a repaired tear in the centre, near the left column and a few small scattered retouchings in the other colums. Offered in a cabinet style, ebonised rectangular frame, in fair condition. (ML)
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The composition is directly based upon Houckgeest's famous original of 1651 now in The Mauritshuis, The Hague.¹ It is one of two related versions that have previously been considered as possible autograph repetitions of the Mauritshuis picture, the other being a panel sold, London, Sotheby's, 28 March 1979, lot 75. Three further versions, considered by Liedtke to be copies, are in the Musée Reattu in Arles, the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin and a German Private collection.

On the basis of first-hand inspection, Dr. Walter Liedtke believes that this may be a second, autograph version of the picture in the Mauritshuis.

1. See Liedtke under Literature, p. 100, no. 6, reproduced.