Attributed to Hendrick Avercamp

Private Collection, Southern Germany;
Acquired from the above in 1952 by an Anonymous Private Collector;
By whom sold ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Christie's, 11 December 1992, lot 92, as by Arent Arentsz., called Cabel, for £120,000;
Shortly thereafter returned to the present owner.

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The oak panel shows slight evidence of worm damage but is otherwise in good condition, flat and evenly chamfered without joins or repairs. The paint surface is flat and stable and well preserved; there is a 20 cm crack visible through the paint layer between the bottom of the pole and the hunter's arm, this is stable and there has been no loss of paint. The prominent horizontal wood grain has been reduced in the past with restoration, however, this is now discoloured. Minor abrasion to the figures in the mid ground, the dog and the beacon pole can be detected but many of the other fine details are intact. Removal of the discoloured and degraded varnish would substantially improve the tonality."
"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."

A signed variant of this composition, on a slightly larger panel (33 by 52 cm.) was sold in these Rooms, 24 March 1965, lot 77, and was later with P. de Boer in Amsterdam. The composition is similar to that of the present panel in most respects, including the crouching hunter and most of the skaters, but the design is extended to the right to include a second, standing hunter and a different dog,  and does not include the distant village. The village, the distinctive foreground pole (with a bird atop it) and the dog do however recur in another panel by Hendrick Avercamp, sold London, Christie's, 15 April 1992, lot 29. Of smaller size than the present work (19 by 26 cm.), this panel is also signed in monogram. The staffage, especially to the left of the composition, is, however, very different. It seems most likely that the ex de Boer painting served as the prototype for this group of paintings. A close copy of the de Boer panel, signed in monogram by Arent Arentsz., called 'Cabel' (1585-1631), is in the Harold Samuel Collection in London.¹  All of these pictures include the common motifs of the large pole in the foreground and the gibbet with its grisly load in the distance. As Sutton has observed, the pole is not tall enough to have served as a channel marker, but may have been used to help hoist heavy fishing nets. Such a pole may be found in operation in a painting by Barent Avercamp, Hendrick's nephew, today in Berlin.²  Although gibbets must have been a common enough sight in the Netherlands, the frequency with which they recur in works by Avercamp and many other artists suggests that they may have held a morally symbolic meaning.

 

1. P.C. Sutton, Dutch and Flemish Seventeenth Century paintings: The Harold Samuel Collection, Cambridge 1992, pp. 15-16, cat. no. 2, reproduced.
2. C. Welcker, Hendrick Avercvamp (1585-1634), Barent Avercamp (1612-1679). Schilders tot Campen, Doornspijk 1979, p. 331, BAS11, plate 38, fig. 63.