Adam Frans van der Meulen Brussels 1632 - 1690 Paris

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 25 November 1970, lot 57, for £1,600 to Richard Green; 
Acquired by the family of the present owner in the 1970s.

The painting is more colourful, much less contrasted and subtler in tone than the illustration suggests. The canvas has been recently relined and the painting quite recently cleaned and restored. Certain areas of the picture now appear rather worn, although the paint was probably applied more thinly: this refers specifically to the secondary figures on horseback and the landscape visible in the left background. Inspection under ultra-violet reveals some scattered localised strengthening on the figures, particularly on the secondary horsemen and their horses. The two principal figures on horseback have been retouched to a lesser degree and only a few strengthenings on the left hand horseman and a few discoloured retouchings on the white horse in the centre are visible under ultra-violet light. Further strengthening is visible in some of the figures in the middleground and the landscape in the background. The signature lower right appears to have been partially strengthened. There is an area of retouching in the sky upper centre, particularly concentrated on the cloud, and this may have been to conceal losses through flaking. A further line of retouching is visible along the extreme upper edge (perhaps where the frame rubbed the paint surface). On the whole the painting is in reasonably good condition and could be hung as is. The later gilt wood and plaster frame has some superfical knocks and damages but is structurally sound.
"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."

The group of figures to the right, including the King and his generals, derives, with differences, from the artist's large canvas of the same subject in Paris, Musée du Louvre¹. That painting was one of several conquêtes executed for the King's newly erected Château de Marly and represents Van der Meulen's first major royal commission. With the present work, the spectacle is seen from a much lower and closer viewpoint and Van der Meulen has altered the figural arrangement to create an easel painting suitable for private consumption.

1  Inv. no. 1491; see I. Richefort, Adam-François van der Meulen, Brussels 2004, p. 238, cat. no. 107, reproduced p. 109