Nicolaes Pietersz. Berchem

Hendrik Twent,
His sale, Leiden, Delfos, 11 August 1789, lot 2, to Fouquet;
With Pierre Fouquet (1729-1800), Amsterdam;
Pierre de Grand-Pré, Paris;
His sale, Paris, M. Jaluzot, 16 February 1809, lot 90;
Alexis Delahante;
His sale, London, Phillips, 8 July 1828;
Edward Holland (d. 1829), London, Benhall Park, by 1829;
Thence by descent to the Heirs of Edward Holland;
By whom sold, London, Squibb, 9 July 1931, lot 67;
Gosling family, Hassobury, Essex, England;
Thence by descent to Robert Cunliffe Gosling;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 26 January 1920, lot 139;
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Christie's, 2 July 1976, lot 61;
With Norbert Pokutta, Munich, 1976;
Gerald Guterman, New York;
By whom sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (inv. no. 86.PA.731), 1986;
From whom acquired by the present owner, 2006.

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum; Boston, Museum of Fine Arts; Philadelphia, Museum of Art, Masters of 17th Century Dutch Landscape Painting, 2 October 1987-31 July 1988, no. 10.

J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French Painters, vol. V, London 1829-42, pp. 49-50, cat. no. 144;
Ch. Blanc, Le Trésor de la Curiosité, vol. II, Paris 1857-8, p. 363;
C. Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und kritsches Verzeichnis der hervorragendsten holländischen Maler des XVII. Jahrhunderts, Paris and Esslingen 1907-28, vol. IX, cat. no. 341;
P. Sutton, Masters of 17th Century Dutch Landscape Painting, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam, Boston and Philadelphia 1987-8, pp. 267-8, reproduced, and illustrated in color, plate 66;
P. Sutton, "Recent Patters of Public and Private Collecting of Dutch Art", in Great Dutch Paintings from America, exhibition catalogue, San Francisco and The Hague 1990-1, p. 107;
D. Jaffé, Summary Catalogue of European Paintings in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 1997, p. 9, reproduced.

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 large oil on canvas is in lovely condition. It has been fairly recently restored and should most likely be hung as is. The canvas is lined and the paint layer is stable. Only very slight weakness has developed in the very darkest tones and there is no significant restoration except in the lower left corner in the stream where some thinness has been attended to. The remainder of the painting is in marvelous and unusually 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."

A member of the second generation of Dutch Italianates, Berchem's oeuvre is extensive; while known predominately as a landscape painter, he was also an accomplished figure painter, as well as a supreme draftsman.  The son of Pieter Claesz. Berchem was exposed to the Dutch art tradition at an early age, with his father instructing his young son.  By 1642, Berchem was a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke.  During this time, he was adhering to the native Dutch landscape style, depicting Netherlandish scenery.  Scholars have identified him studying alongside Jan van Goyen, Claes Moeyaert, Pieter de Grebber, Jan Wils and Jan Baptist Weenix.  Some scholars have even suggested that Berchem travelled to Rome in 1642 with Weenix, although no evidence exists to support this claim.  It is more likely, however, that Berchem went to Rome sometime between 1651 and 1653, and it was there that he became captivated by Italian landscapes.     

The present picture, A Landscape with Figures, reflects Berchem's embrace of the Italianate style, with the saturated color palette and the brilliance of the light highlighting the panoramic Italian countryside scene.  An element of tranquility permeates the foreground of the work: the artist's careful depiction of the elegant figures and the animals in the foreground creates a subtle balance with the imposing landscape.   Peter Sutton has dated the present work from 1666-1675, late in his career and reflecting his mature style.¹ 

The painting's grand scale suggests that Berchem did not paint for the free market and was in fact commissioned by someone of great wealth, although the first owner remains unknown.  Its provenance is traceable back to the late 18^th century, with renowned painter and dealer Pierre Fouquet le Jeune as one of the first recorded owners.  Later, in the 1970s, New York real estate mogul Gerald Guterman, whose collection incorporated some of the finest examples of the Dutch 17th century, including a masterpiece by Jan Jansz. den Uyl, acquired the painting.  Guterman then sold it to the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1986, where it remained in the museum's collection for twenty years.

1. Sutton, op. cit., 1987, p 268.