Hendrik Gerritsz. Pot Haarlem (?) circa 1585 - 1657 Amsterdam

Anonymous sale, Paris, Tajan, 27 October 2000, lot 42.

The actual painting is slightly softer in tone and shows more detail in the darker parts than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel seems to consist of one plank. It is flat and stable, and cradled. The paint surface seems to be in very good condition. A few minor retouchings can be observed in the woman's right arm and hand, as well as minor strengthening in the flowers in the lower right corner, The painting is covered with a clear layer of varnish. Inspection under ultra violet reveals scattered retouchings throughout, e.g. in the woman's face and chest, and in her costume, which are not visible to the naked eye. Offered in a cabinet style ebonised wood frame in good condition. (MW)
"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."

Hendrik Pot is known to have painted several portraits of shepherds and shepherdesses, often as a pair. The growth in popularity of the pastoral theme went hand-in-hand with the proliferation of pastoral plays, songbooks and poetry in the 17th Century, and was first developed in Utrecht in the early 1620s by Dutch Caravaggist artists such as Hendrick Terbrugghen, Paulus Moreelse and Gerard van Honthorst, who all painted single-figured shepherds and shepherdesses at half length, sometimes with overall sensual appearances, against a neutral background.¹ In style, the present painting could very well be a pendant to the shepherd painted by Hendrik Pot (see following lot).  However, both paintings slightly differ in size. A remarkable aspect of this painting is the lack of attributes which characterised the shepherdess type in 17^th Century Dutch painting, such as staffs, wide-brimmed straw hats, and flowers. More relevant to the sensual appearance of the depicted shepherdess, is the wreath she is holding in her left hand, which would have been understood on a variety of levels by its contemporary audience.² 

1. See A. McNeil Kettering, The Dutch Arcadia: Pastoral Art and its Audience in the golden Age, Monclair, New Jersey, 1983, p. 20 c.f.
2. Hendrick Pot also painted a shepherd holding a wreath, which is in the Willem Russell Collection, Amsterdam.