Jan Josefsz. van Goyen

The Earl of Mar and Kellie, Kellie Castle, Scotland;
With Asscher & Welcker, London, 1929;
Mr & Mrs Geoffrey Hart, East Grinstead;
With Edward Speelman, London, circa 1955;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie’s, 1 April 1960, lot 71, for 9,000 Guineas to Agnew;
With Thomas Agnew & Sons Ltd, London, 1960;
With Robert Noortman, Hulsberg & London, 1979;
Private collection, Wassenaar;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie’s, 13 December 1991, lot 23;
With Robert Noortman, Maastricht, 1996;
From whom acquired by the late husband of the present owner.

Leiden, Stedelijk Museum ‘De Lakenhal’, Jan van Goyen, 12 October 1996 - 13 January 1997, no. 38.

H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596 - 1656, vol. II, Katalog der Gemälde,  Amsterdam 1973, p. 408, no. 906, reproduced;
H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596 - 1656, vol. III,  Ergänzungen ...,  Doornspijk 1987, p. 249, no. 906;
C. Vogelaar, Jan van Goyen, exhibition catalogue, Zwolle/Leiden 1996, p. 124, no. 38, reproduced;
W. Prins, ‘Van profeet tot profiteur’, in Origine, 1993, pp. 24, 25, no. 5, reproduced.

The following condition report is provided by Sarah Walden, who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is on a fine oak panel, bevelled all round. There has been a crack from the left edge crossing parallel and just above the horizon to a little beyond the centre. This has had a butterfly support inserted behind by the left edge, quite long ago and there is no sign of any more recent movement. This crack has been carefully retouched recently. This is visible under ultra violet light, together other retouchings in the sky: a short vertical scrape at upper left and many minute surface touches elsewhere in thinner places across the sky, but the lower area is perfectly preserved. This report was not done under laboratory conditions.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This picture shows how Van Goyen's tonal phases evolved, from the predominent greens and yellows of the 1630s and early '40s to a silvery grey in the later 1640s, where the tones of a cloudy sunless sky are reflected in the water.  Only in the greens of the vegetation in the left foreground, and the pale watery blue patches as seen in gaps in the cloud cover does the artist relent.  Though austerely monochromatic by this stage in his career Van Goyen is less dogmatic in his tonality, which is dictated by the reality of the subject seen on a gloomy day, rather than a choice of tone imposed to convey a mood.  Nonetheless, the low horizon and vast sky with piled-up grey clouds creates an impression of immense space.