Rotterdam School, first half of the 17th century

This painting was acquired for the Wieg collection with an attribution to the female painter Catharina van Knibbergen (active in The Hague 1630–75) – an attribution that was previously endorsed by Joop Nieuwstraten, former director of the RKD (1970–90). The figures appear to be the work of another hand.

Although little is known of Catharina van Knibbergen, she appears to have been a well-respected painter in The Hague. The first mention of her is in a poem of 1634 by Pieter Nootmans (Jeugdige Minne-Spiegel), in which she is referred to as ‘vermaarde kunstrijke schilderes’ (‘renowned artful painter’), indicating that her career was already established at that time. Further confirmation of this comes from the fact that she was a member of the Confrerie Pictura, a prestigious painting and academic society in The Hague. Her work consists of mountainous landscapes, many of which were recorded in The Hague inventories after her death. She is believed possibly to be the daughter of the Utrecht painter François van Knibbergen (1596/7–1664).