Philips Wouwerman Haarlem 1619 - 1668

Chevalier Sébastien Erard, Paris;
His sale, Paris, Henry, Lacoste, Coutellier, April 23, 1832, lot 173, for 3,201 ff;
Baron J.G. Verstolk van Soelen, The Hague, from whom purchased by;
T. Baring, Humphey St. John Mildmay and Lord Overstone;
H. Bingham Mildmay-Baring, of Messrs. Baring Brothers, London;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie, Manson & Woods, June 24, 1893, lot 86, for £205;
Jules Porgès, Paris, by 1908;
With C.E. Fritze's Kunglige Hofbokhandel, Stockholm, by 1921;
Private collection, The Netherlands, from whom purchased by Noortman Master Paintings.

J. Smith, A Catologue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French Painters, London 1829 - 42, vol IX, p. 217, cat. no. 230;
G.F. Waagen, Galleries and Cabinets of Art in Great Britain, London 1857, p. 156;
C. Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und Kritisches Verzeichnis der Werke der Hervorragendsten Holländischen Maler des XVII. Jahrhunderts, Esslingen and Paris 1907 - 28, vol. II, p. 458, cat. no. 668;
F.J. Duparc, "Philips Wouwerman, 1619 - 1668", in Oud Holland, no. 107, 1993, pp. 277 - 278.

Hunting scenes, and more specifically hawking parties, were among Wouwerman's favored themes, and ones at which he excelled.  One reason for this is the artist's reputation, then and now, as the most accomplished and successful Dutch painter of horses of his time.  In the present painting, Wouwerman showcases this skill by including five horses, all seen from various angles, and each striking a different pose.

Wouwerman's oeuvre, which comprises more than a thousand paintings, is somewhat difficult to date: only a handful of works were dated by the artist.  However, Frederic Duparc has proposed a widely accepted chonology of Wouwerman's works.  Duparc believes this painting belongs to the second half of the 1650's, the time of  Wouwerman's highest degree of artisic maturity.  This period is characterized by a brighter palette and a heightened sense of elegance, both in the refinement of the figures, and in the painted surface's high level of finish.  In the case of the present painting, the latter element is further emphasized by the use of copper as a support; the inherent light reflecting properties of the metal stress the highly polished quality of the picture.

Thomas Baring was the son of Francis Baring, 1st Baronet, (see Provenance). The latter purchased Stratton Park in 1802 and began collecting paintings and furniture to adorn his new estate.  His business association with the banking firm Hope and Co. in the Netherlands proved a profitable venture on more than one count; it afforded him the opportunity of purchasing a number of Dutch paintings, including such works as Rembrandt's Centurion Cornelius, now in the Wallace Collection, London.  His son Thomas Baring, 2nd Baronet, inherited Stratton Park and its furnishings.  He added onto his father's collection of Dutch paintings significantly, the present lot being one addition.  He also commissioned contemporary English artists such as J.M.W. Turner.  In 1812, the Prince Regent (later George IV) purchased many pictures from the Baring collection. Subsequently, Thomas Baring became an avid collector of Italian paintings.

Dr. Birgit Schumacher has seen the present painting first hand and confirms it to be by Philips Wouwerman. Dr. Schumacher will include it in her forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Wouwerman's paintings, to be published in March 2006.