Josua de Grave Amsterdam 1643-1712 The Hague

De Grave stopped in Maastricht on his way back from France in mid-1669, and remained there until the end of 1671.  Some sixty drawings of Maastricht and its surroundings are known from this period, but almost all are rather smaller sheets than this, lacking the decorative colouring and atmospheric execution of the present sheet, which stands out as a particularly attractive example of de Grave's topographical work.  Other drawings of views near Maastricht include those sold, New York, Sotheby's, 26 January 2000, lot 151, and New York, Christie's, 24 January 2001, lot 164, while a panoramic profile view of the city is in an Amsterdam private collection (see Kabinet van Tekeningen, 16e en 17e eeuwse Hollandse en Vlaamse tekeningen uit een Amsterdamse verzameling, exh.cat., Rotterdam/Paris/Brussels, 1976-7, cat.70, illus.pl.60).