Jan Josefsz. van Goyen Leiden 1596 - 1656 The Hague

General George Catchmade Morgan;
his daughter, Sophia Pollard;
with P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London, in 1976;
H.R. Bijl, The Hague;
sale of his collection, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 17 November 1993, lot 13 (purchased by the present owner)

H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen, vol. III, Doornspijk 1987, p. 118, no. 844A/3;
C.P. van Eeghen, 'Jan van Goyen's Early Chalk Landscapes from Two Albums,' in Master Drawings, XXXV, no. 2 (Summer 1997), p. 179, note 8

Very light horizontal ridge across centre. Tiny repair, lower left corner, and slightly thin in a couple of other corners. Otherwise extremely good and fresh. Unframed.
"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."

This sketch originates from an album known as the Catchmade Morgan Album which, when Dr. Beck studied it in 1977, contained some 67 chalk drawings, mounted and bound together.  The album was broken up around 1978.  Dr. Beck accepted the drawings that he saw in the Catchmade Morgan Album as original works by Van Goyen, dating them to around 1627-29, but rejected a further 9 sheets which had already been removed from the album by that time.  More recently, though, C.P. van Eeghen has proposed that all the drawings originally contained in the album were in fact by Van Goyen, those rejected by Beck being the earliest known chalk studies by the artist, dating from around 1623-4, and the others being slightly later in date, but in any case executed no later than 1626-7.  

Beck and van Eeghen do, however, agree that the drawings in this group represent views near Leiden, where Van Goyen was living at the time.