Jan van Huysum

Emile E. Wolf, New York;
Jacobus A. Klaver;
his sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 10 May 1994, lot 87

Paris, Paul Prouté, Dessins...Estampe Anciennes..., 1968, cat. no. 37;
Ithaca, New York, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Dutch Drawings of the Seventeenth Century from a Collection, 1979, cat. no. 62;
Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet, Tekeningen van oude meesters. De verzameling Jacobus A. Klaver, 1993 (catalogue by Marijn Schapelhouman and Peter Schatborn), cat. no. 106

Unframed. The sheet appears to have been cropped very slightly. There are a few isolated fox marks, but otherwise the condition is fine, the ink still fresh.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

According to Christiaan Josi, van Huysum made his drawings in the evenings and in winter, when the light was not good enough to allow him to paint.¹  Despite the popularity of his luxurious floral compositions, these drawings have never been adequately studied.  Not many of van Huysum's drawings can be directly linked with paintings, but, as Bergström was the first to note, the present sheet is an exception: its composition relates closely to that of a painting, probably of the 1720s, in Munich (fig. 1).²  The depiction of flowers in a basket, rather than the more usual ornate vase, is rare in van Huysum's work. See also the previous lot.

1. C. Josi, Collection d'imitations de dessins d'après les principaux maîtres hollandais et flamands..., London 1821, under van Huysum

2. Alte Pinakothek, inv. no. 268