Aert van der Neer

Sidney J. van den Bergh, Wassenaar;
With Leonard Koetser, London;
Acquired from the above by the late owner.

London, Leonard Koetser, Spring Exhibition 1967, cat. no. 12.

Leonard Koetser, Spring Exhibition, exhibition catalogue, London 1957, p. 28, cat. no. 12, reproduced in colour p. 29;
W. Schulz, Aert van der Neer, Doornspijk 2002, p. 147, cat. no. 80, reproduced plate 55.

The following condition report is provided by Rebecca Gregg who is an external expert and not an employee of Sotheby's. The single member oak panel is in very good condition with no planar distortions. It would appear the panel has been cut along the top horizontal edge. The thinly applied paint layers appear in good condition. There are no recent damages or loss and the adhesion between the paint and ground layers and the support appears good. There are areas of retouching remaining from a previous restoration campaign. These are in evidence in the upper right corner and small scattered brushstrokes across the sky concentrating in the upper right quadrant. The majority of the over-paint appears to have been applied as a result of thinned or slightly abraded paint. There is strong indications that this campaign was applied to minimize the appearance of the wood grain, which has probably become more prominent as the paint layer have become more transparent as a result of aging. There are also areas in the lower left quadrant that appear to cover areas pentiment. The monogram in the lower left centre has been slightly re-enforced in the lower half of the first character. There is a slightly discoloured varnish layer present. And a light layer of surface dust and dirt.
"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."

Technically, this accomplished winter landscape by Aert van der Neer can be compared to another of his small-scale winter scenes on panel, previously with Robert Noortman.¹ In both paintings van der Neer has used a similarly delicate palette, perfectly capturing the golden-grey winter light, and furthermore uses the staffage to create a gradual progression towards the horizon. With the ex-Noortman painting van der Neer has used two strong diagonals on either side of the composition, beginning in the lower left and lower right foreground and extending to a common vanishing point in the centre, as was often his wont when describing depth. Here however, he has done away with such rigid guidelines, pushing the buildings that form such diagonals out to the far reaches of the panorama and relying almost solely for a sense of depth on the diminishing figures that populate the ice.  The figures are thus relatively conspicuous, not belittled by the sky and landscape above and around them, with the protagonists placed prominently towards the front of the painting, acting out their winter themed activities on a kind of stage.

The compositional equality between the sky and the land in this painting, with the horizon running across almost the exact centre of the painting, certainly reinforces the prominence of the figures. However, while there are a few further examples of such a compositional arrangement within the artist's oeuvre², and while the top margin of this panel is bevelled, it is possible that the panel has been partially reduced along the upper edge by an inch or so, resetting the compositional balance.

1. see W. Schulz under Literature, p. 189, cat. no. 227, reproduced plate 10.
2. see W. Schulz under Literature, p. 195, cat. no. 250, reproduced fig. 126 and p. 368, cat. no. 923, reproduced fig. 127.