Hans Bol

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 30 June 1965, lot 72.

The actual paintings are warmer and less red in tone than the catalogue illustrations suggest. Both paintings are parchment laid down on canvas, and seem to be in good condition. The latter shows a few losses to the right and lower edges and to the lower left corner. A few small creases can be seen in the upper part and lower left, which has resulted in some flaking. The former has no major damages in the paint surface, but does reveal tiny paint losses along the lower edge. Both paint surfaces reveal much detail. Both works are under a slightly dirty varnish layer. A few tiny retouchings can be seen in the former painting to the lower edge in the centre, and in both paintings a few tiny retouchings are revealed in the sky. This is confirmed by inspection under ultra violet light. The very fine craquelure pattern is slightly more visible in the latter. Offered in plain wood frames, slightly damaged. (ML/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."

Hans Bol painted these lovely small oils when he was already living in Amsterdam, just one year before his death. Born in Malines, he probably studied with one of his uncles, Jacob or Jan Bol, who were both active as watercolour painters. In 1584 he travelled to the north and has been recorded to live in Bergen op Zoom, Dordrecht and Delft, before his final move to Amsterdam.¹ According to Van Mander, Bol started out with painting large scale paintings, but when he discovered they were copied and sold as real ones by the artist, he decided to start painting miniatures, to make it impossible to copy him.² Charming as this anecdote may be, it is most probably not the real reason why Bol started painting miniatures. Being also a fine draughtsman, he was well prepared to create on such a small scale. Many of his miniature works are gouaches on paper, or even vellum, but he occasionally also used oils, as he did with these two scenes. His extensive wooded landscapes often show important staffage in the foreground, either telling a mythological or a biblical story. As Bol can be regarded as a serial painter, many of his landscapes are similar and the poses of his figures identical. The scene of the Return of Canaan can be compared to a similar work in a private collection, Belgium, recorded with Briels,³ which is on panel and of almost identical size. The composition of both works is layed out the same, with large trees on either side, and a distant view point down the centre. The painting in the private collection shows the return party to the left, the same as the present one, and even the posture of the figures with the standing Jacob is almost equal. The figures in the landscape with Diana are similar, albeit it in reverse, to figures in a gouache that was sold London, Sotheby's, 2 July 1990, lot 30. 

1. P. Huys Janssen (ed.), Panorama op de Wereld, Het landschap van Bosch tot Rubens, 's Hertogenbosch/Zwolle 2001, p. 147.
2. K. van Mander, Het schildersboek, (reprint) Amsterdam 1946, pp. 149-50.
3. See J. Briels, Vlaamse schilders en de dageraad van Hollands Gouden Eeuw 1585-1630, Antwerp 1997, reproduced p. 208, no, 318.