Lot 168
  • 168

Adriaen Van Salm

Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 USD
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Description

  • Adriaen Van Salm
  • A Dutch Man-of-War firing a salute, with a Flotilla of Fishing Boats and other Shipping Beyond: a penschilderij
  • signed lower right: A.V.SALM
  • pen, ink and oil on panel

Provenance

Robert C. Graham;
Thence by descent to Edith A. Graham, by 1995;
By whom sold, New York, Christie's, May 18, 1995, lot 26;
With The Weiss Gallery, London;
From whom acquired by the present collector.

Condition

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This grisaille is in beautiful condition. It appears to have been fairly recently restored. The panel is a single piece of mahogany which has no reinforcements on the reverse. Although the wood grain is slightly raised on the surface, the panel and the paint layer are both in very healthy state. Under ultraviolet light there is hardly any retouching in the sky or in the foreground. The retouches in the sky that do exist are very small and cosmetic, addressing only a few tiny blemishes. There is no abrasion to even the tiniest details in the foreground and all of the rigging in the ships and the penmanship in the waves is marvelously preserved. The picture should be hung as is.
"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

Adriaen van der Salm was a resident of Delfshaven who specialized in penschilderen, of which this is a highly representative and wonderfully preserved example. The technique of penschilderen painting: drawing in ink with a reed or quill pen on a gesso prepared panel or canvas, yielded a highly refined image. These monochromatic works, typically depicting shipping, whaling and the occasional winter scene, are highly detailed and have the appearance of a drawing or print. Images such as this were amongst the finest which were highly desired by collectors in the 17th and 18th centuries especially. Early practictioners of penschilderen were Willem van de Velde (1611-1693) and Caspar van den Bos (born 1634), both of whom specialized in shipping and whaling scenes.