Frankenthal School, circa 1600

Carl König (L.583); 
Arthur Feldmann, Brno;
looted by the Gestapo;
Moravian Provincial Museum, Brno (their mark, and inventory no. 3208);
Moravská galerie, Brno;
restituted to the heirs of Arthur Feldmann in 2003

Bratislava, Italian Drawings, 15th-18th Centuries, 1953, possibly no. 41

Unframed. There is a light brown 13cm stain (from water damage?) along the upper margin, towards the left corner, and another light stain in the center left. However, neither stands out particularly strongly. There are two spot stains, one brown and one black also in the center of the sheet. Otherwise the condition is reasonably good.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The small, light strokes with which this landscape is constructed suggest a connection to the Frankenthal School, the small group of artists working in Frankenthal, Germany from circa 1586 until the 1620s.  The key member of this group was Gillis van Coninxloo III, although our drawing is closer in style to works by Frederick van Valckenborch, such as his freely-drawn, airy landscape in Budapest.¹

1. See T. Gerszi, Netherlandish Drawings in the Budapest Museum: Sixteenth Century Drawings, Amsterdam 1971, cat. no. 267