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Abraham Storck Amsterdam bapt 1644 - 1708
Description
- Abraham Storck
- A capriccio of a mediterranean harbour with Roman ruins and men unloading cargo in the foreground
- signed and dated lower left: A: Storck. Fecit/ ao 1676.
- oil on canvas
Provenance
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Lady and a Gentleman'), London, Sotheby's, 16 December 1999, lot 29.
Catalogue Note
Despite so many of Storck's paintings being of Southern scenes, we have no proof that he visited Italy. However, his views of German cities and scenery along the Rhine and also of Venice (Schwerin, Staatliche Museen) suggest strongly that he did. Though mostly artificial, his views of Italian ports do incorporate on occasion accurate topographical elements and undoubtedly foreshadow the Italian capricci of the eighteenth century. Many of the ruins and architectural elements in the present painting recur in other mediterranean port scenes of this type. The obelisk in the centre, for example, is a common feature of these views and recurs, for example, in two other harbour scenes sold London, Sotheby's, 7 December 1994, lot 4, and 3 July 1991, lot 88.