Jacob van der Ulft

Sale, Amsterdam, P. de Vries, 14 April 1908;
Pieter Langerhuizen (L.2095),
his sale, Amsterdam, F. Muller and Co., 19 April 1919, lot 779;
sale, Amsterdam, F. Muller and Co., 12 December 1935, lot 905;
sale, London, Sotheby's, 26 November 1970, lot 14, reproduced;
Martin Bodmer, Geneva;
Bernard H. Breslauer Collection, New York

New York, The Pierpont Morgan Library, The Bernard H. Breslauer Collection of Manuscript Illuminations, 1992-3, cat. no. 28, reproduced

Rembrandt and his Century, exhib. cat., Paris, Institut Néerlandais, 1974, p. 161, note 14;
Helmut Minkowski, Vermutungen über den Turm zu Babel, 1991, p. 204, no. 318, reproduced

Fixed to mount in all corners. Some unevenness in vellum, especially towards top. Minor abrasions and some retouched losses, primarily in sky towards top. Throughout rest of composition, condition generally good. Sold in a brown wooden frame.
"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."

Van der Ulft was born in Gorinchem where he held various civic positions.  He was probably self-taught as an artist and is primarily known for his topographical drawings, frequently done in brown wash.  Although many are Italian views, it is thought that he never travelled to Italy but rather worked from prints and drawings by other artists.  Gouaches by van der Ulft are extremely rare: other examples are in the Lugt Collection, Paris, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (see Literature).  This is a particularly splendid example, and unusual in its Biblical subject.

The subject of the Tower of Babel, recounted in Genesis 11:1-9, became popular in the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th centuries.  The builders of the tower intended it to reach to Heaven and to make them famous, but God punished their pride by scattering the people and creating the confusion of different languages.  Van der Ulft's composition does not appear to be copied from another prototype, but does bear similarities to the type established by Hendrick van Cleve and perpetuated by Flemish artists of the 17th century, in which the tower sits on a square foundation and streets and other buildings radiate from it.¹

1. Minkowski, op.cit., p. 177, fig. 223