Karel la Fargue

Sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby Mak van Waay, 16 November 1981, lot 260 (as Pieter Molijn);
sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby Mak van Waay, 1 December 1986, lot 57 (as Claes Molenaer);
Jacobus A. Klaver, Amsterdam (bears his mark, not in Lugt, on the mount);
sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 15 November 1994, lot 152

C. Dumas and M.C. Plomp, 'Karel la Fargue (1738-1793) as a forger of seventeenth-century Dutch drawings', in Oud Holland, vol. 112, 1998, no. 1, p. 49, cat. no. 95, reproduced

Unframed. Window mounted in japan paper. There are some pale fox marks across the sheet, and the surface is a little rubbed in parts. There are two small areas of thinning - one at the centre of the right edge, the other to the right of the lower edge, presumably from where the sheet was lifted from an old backing (not visible on the recto). Overall, however, the condition is fine.
"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."

La Fargue's authorship of this drawing was first recognised by Charles Dumas, who, together with Michiel Plomp, published the drawing in a fascinating article which revealed the artist to be a forger of seventeenth century Dutch drawings.  The article presents 179 sheets which range from imitations to clear forgeries of earlier artists' work.  The present sheet is one of four drawings identified by the authors as being drawn in the style of Nicolaes Molenaer. 

La Fargue apparently began to produce such drawings in the late 1760s, with most dating from the '70s or '80s.  The forgeries were primarily based on paintings (as is probable for the present drawing) or prints, and in most cases the composition was repeated verbatim, although sometimes details or settings were altered.  Such a prolific output was clearly executed for financial gain: 18^th-century Holland saw an increased demand for the work of the previous century, while that for contemporary masters fell, and La Fargue therefore saw a perfect opportunity for clearing his numerous debts by fulfilling that demand.  In 1783, still at the peak of his activity as a forger, La Fargue declared that he did 'his level best to earn an honest living': it took two hundred years for us to realise that this was not quite the case.¹

1.  C. Dumas and M.C. Plomp, op.cit., p. 20