Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraten

Dr. C. Hofstede de Groot (L.561);
Jacobus A. Klaver, Amsterdam 

Unframed. There is the remains of a vertical fold to the left of the centre of the sheet. The paper is somewhat foxed, but the medium remains strong.
"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 town hall, or Stadhuis, of Amsterdam burnt down on 7 July 1652.  According to the English text in the Kabinet van Nederlandsche Outheden en Gezichten of 1752, 'the tower of it was pull'd down two days after the Incendie, by the Magistrate's order, for fear that some mischief should happen by its fall'.  The ruins inspired many artists, including Rembrandt, who made two drawings of the scene, one in the Museum Het Rembrandthuis, the other in the Albertina.¹

Beerstraten depicted the fire itself in a dramatic painting in the Amsterdams Historisch Museum, and made many drawings of the town hall before, during and after the event.  Five anonymous drawings from the van Eeghen collection, now in the Stadsarchief, Amsterdam, also show the ruined building.  Those drawings, and the apparently more accurate depictions by Beerstraten, are all thought to date to the year of the fire, whereas the present study may be from somewhat later, as the tower has by this time lost a storey, and the surrounding walls are in a poorer state of repair.² 

1.  See O. Benesch, The Drawings of Rembrandt, vol. VI, London 1973, nos. 1275, 1278

2.  See B. Bakker, E. Fleurbaay and A.W. Gerlagh, De Verzameling van Eeghen, Amsterdamse tekeningen 1600-1950, Zwolle 1988, pp. 74-6, cat. nos. 19-21