- 56
Pieter van der Werff
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 EUR
bidding is closed
Description
- Pieter van der Werff
- Nymphs dancing to a pipe-playing shepherd
- signed and dated lower left: P: V.f WERFF/ AN.o 1717
- oil on panel
Provenance
William Lormier, The Hague;
His deceased sale, Francken, 4 July 1763, lot 344, for 800 florins to Baillie for Sir James Lowther (1736-1802), later 1st Earl of Lonsdale;
Thence by family descent at Lowther Castle until Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale K.G., G.C.V.O. (1857-1944);
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 2 July 1937, lot 32, for £ 44.2 to Dean (as by Adriaen van der Werff);
Presumably either unsold or bought back at the above sale and thence by descent to James Hugh William Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale (1922-2006);
By whom sold ("The Property of the Trustees of the Earl of Lonsdale"), London, Christie's, 7 March 1980, lot 158, where acquired by the present owner.
His deceased sale, Francken, 4 July 1763, lot 344, for 800 florins to Baillie for Sir James Lowther (1736-1802), later 1st Earl of Lonsdale;
Thence by family descent at Lowther Castle until Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale K.G., G.C.V.O. (1857-1944);
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 2 July 1937, lot 32, for £ 44.2 to Dean (as by Adriaen van der Werff);
Presumably either unsold or bought back at the above sale and thence by descent to James Hugh William Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale (1922-2006);
By whom sold ("The Property of the Trustees of the Earl of Lonsdale"), London, Christie's, 7 March 1980, lot 158, where acquired by the present owner.
Literature
G. Hoet and P. Terwesten, Catalogus of Naamlyst van Schilderyen met derzelver prysen zedert den. 22 Augusti 1752 tot den 21, November 1768, vol. III, The Hague 1770, p. 336, no. 334;
J. Smith, A catalogue raisonné..., supplement, London 1842, p. 561, no. 36, as by Adriaen van der Werff;
G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, vol. III, London 1854, p. 263, as by Adriaen van der Werff;
C. Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und Kritisches Verzeichnis..., vol. IX, 1928, no. 115, as by Adriaen van der Werff;
B. Gaehtgens, Adriaen van der Werff, Munich 1987, p. 249, under cat. no. 34 (as by Pieter van der Werff, but where erroneously stated as in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh).
J. Smith, A catalogue raisonné..., supplement, London 1842, p. 561, no. 36, as by Adriaen van der Werff;
G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, vol. III, London 1854, p. 263, as by Adriaen van der Werff;
C. Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und Kritisches Verzeichnis..., vol. IX, 1928, no. 115, as by Adriaen van der Werff;
B. Gaehtgens, Adriaen van der Werff, Munich 1987, p. 249, under cat. no. 34 (as by Pieter van der Werff, but where erroneously stated as in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh).
Condition
"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
The pine panel is in a good condition apart from an unstable diagonal split running from the top edge to the centre of the panel. The paint layer is secure and flat. A fine filigree of pale shrinkage cracks covers the whole surface breaking up the more delicate passages. There is slight abrasion to the shadow of the rocks and the hair of the figures but apart from this and one or two minor restorations the painting is in good condition; removing the varnish would improve the tonality.
Offered in a gilt wood frame, in good condition."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
Catalogue Note
A version of this composition by Adriaen van der Werff, with slight changes to the positioning of the nymphs' hands and arms and with the addition of two onlookers at the extreme left, is in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. no. 1945); and a further version which excludes the left hand nymph but includes the figure of Cupid at the extreme left, is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. SK-A-467).1
1. See Gaehtgens under Literature, pp. 248-50, nos. 34 and 35 respectively.
1. See Gaehtgens under Literature, pp. 248-50, nos. 34 and 35 respectively.