Esaias van de Velde

Anonymous sale, Stockholm, Bukowski, 4-7 November 1986, lot 441.

The painting is slightly softer in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The single panel is flat and stable and bevelled to the reverse. There's a minor chip along the upper edge and minor frame abrasion along the right margin. The paint layer appears nicely preserved with a lot of detail still intact. The paint surface is under a clear layer of varnish. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered tiny retouches in the sky, which are nicely done, and only very minor strengthening in the trees and far background. Offered in a Dutch plain black wood frame in good condition.
"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."

Dated 1625, this little panel was painted following the artist's move in 1618 from the city of Haarlem to The Hague. Here, during the mid 1620s, Van de Velde explored the themes of hilly and rocky landscapes. Both in its subject matter and in the free handling, this painting fits well into a large group of imaginary panoramas which characterise this mature phase. Although intimate in scale, like a number of works from this period¹, Van de Velde has created distinctive spatial zones by blocking the left part of the view up close in the picture plane with high rock formations, while on the right hand side the open country extends in the far distance. The figures recur with some variations in another work by Van de Velde, signed and dated 1623, in the Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts (inv. no. 1964:4).²

1. See for example G. Keyes, Esaias van de Velde 1587-1630, Doornspijk 1984, pp. 119, 166-7, cat. nos. 2, 175 and 178, reproduced plates 149-51.
2. op.cit., pp. 165-6, reproduced plate 145.