Lot 174
  • 174

Ludolf Backhuysen

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
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Description

  • Ludolf Backhuysen
  • A two-decker, a fluyt, a kaag and a weyschuit in a stiff breeze
  • oil on canvas
  • 17 5/8 in by 24 1/2 in

Provenance

George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816), by 1800;
Thence by descent.

Exhibited

Wellesley (Mass.), Davis Museum, on long term loan.

Literature

Anon., 'Pictures and Articles of Curiosity', in Inventory of the Contents of Warwick Castle,(Warwickshire Record Office CR1886/466), ms., circa 1800, n.p. ('Backhuysen- a sea storm'), hanging in the Chapel passage;
W. Field, An Historical and Descriptive Account of Leamington Spa, Warwick 1815, p. 205 ('A storm at sea - by Ludolph Backhuysin [sic]'), in a short passage to the right of the Compass Window;
C. W. Spicer, Vitruvius Britannicus. History of Warwick Castle, London 1844, p. 36, in the Compass Room;
H. T. Cooke, An Historical and Descriptive Guide to Warwick Castle…, Warwick 1847, p. 84, in the Oak Sitting Room;
Cooper’s, History of Warwick and Guide to the Castle, illustrated, 1850;
W. Kendall, Inventory of Warwick Castle, ms., 1853, in the Billiard Room;
Anon., Inventory of Warwick Castle, ms., circa 1860, in the Billiard Room;
F. E. Warwick, ‘Warwick Castle’, in The Pall Mall Magazine, vol. XI, January – April 1897, p. 41, in the Red Sitting Room;
Anon., Inventory of the contents of Warwick Castle, ms., 1900, in the Business Room.

Condition

The picture has a firm old relining. The paint surface is dirty, with an old yellow varnish. There are a number of very small scattered spot retouchings in the sky that have slightly discoloured, otherwise the paint surface is secure and in fine condition.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Although there is clearly a stiff breeze, Backhuysen's beautifully balanced composition lends the scene a sense of gentle calm. Here he is at his least formal, invoking a sense of lyricism and narrative alongside a beautifully observed collection of sea craft.  To the right we see a kaag (a coastal transport vessel) lying head to wind, presumably on the verge of tacking. At the extreme left is a fluyt, the most successful trading vessel, shown with its most characteristic part, the narrow stern and the round hull and a lateen sail on its mizzen. The presence of just a few cannons may indicate its being on the untreacherous Baltic/Scandinavian trade route. Beyond the heavily armed two-decker warship in the centre is a wijdschip, and in the foreground, animated by a standing seaman and in the process of heading downwind, is a weyschuit. The continuous coastline in the far distance may indicate the Zuidersee.

We are grateful to Gerlinde de Beer for proposing a date of execution in the late 1680s or early 1690s.