- 87
Attributed to Jan van Bijlert
Estimate
12,000 - 15,000 EUR
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Description
- Jan van Bijlert
- A young shepherdess, seated three-quarter length, wearing a red and yellow dress and a wide-brimmed hat, holding a staff and a bird's nest with three small birds
oil on canvas
Condition
The actual painting is deeper in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests.
The canvas has a recent relining. The paint surface is under a lucid and shiny layer of varnish, and the painting seems to be recently cleaned. No damages are apparent. There's some abrasion in the darker areas of the figure's draperies, but otherwise, the paint surface seems to be in good condition. Small scattered retouchings are visible to the background and in her chest, and strengthening is visible in her draperies draperies. Inspection under UV light, furthermore, reveals few additional scattered retouchings to the background, in her hands and draperies, and a few tiny ones in her face.
Offered in a later decorative gilt plaster and wood frame, in good condition. (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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Another version by Jan van Bijlert of this popular motif is recorded in Huys Janssen's monograph on the artist.1 The painting may have had a pendant with a male figure, to which the shepherdess is offering the bird. Needless to say, a 17th Century audience would have appreciated the sexual innuendo of this gesture.
We are grateful to Dr Paul Huys Janssen for suggesting an attribution to Jan van Bijlert on the basis of photographs.
1. Paul Huys Janssen, Jan van Bijlert (1597/98-1671). Catalogue Raisonné, Amsterdam 1998, p. 133, cat. no. 88, reproduced p. 260, plate 49.