Michael Sweerts

Haus Christophorus, Bendorf am Rhein;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 9 July 2003, lot 38.

R. Kultzen, Michael Sweerts, Ghent 1996, pp. 28 and 98, cat. no. 37, reproduced, plate 37.

The canvas is tightly glue relined, the surface has been pressed as as result and the canvas weave is visible, particularly noticeable in the darks. There is some thinness apparent in the darks, in the left hand figure's cloak, in the capital lower left and in the buildings in the far background. Despite this the composition as a whole still reads reasonably well and retains good detail in the foreground and two figures. Inspection under UV light reveals a large repaired compound tear at the left side which runs through the figure leaning by the fountain, through the standing figure and into the should of the figure seated at the center and down into the base of the fountain. There is another large area of repaint in the tree trunk at right and a further area of retouching at the left side, both possibly addressing punctures. There are scattered much smaller retouches throughout. The restorations have been applied well, there is no need for further work and the painting can be hung as is. Offered in a carved gilt wood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In this seemingly casual exchange between two artists resting beside a fountain, Sweerts displays the influence which Pieter van Laer and the Bamboccianti exerted on his early work. Much in the tradition of the Bamboccianti, the focus of the composition is working people going about their daily activities, in this case a pair of actively sketching artists. However where Sweerts demonstrates his own unique visual language is in his ability to elevate the subject's demeanor away from the more raucous or stumbling figures found in the work of van Laer, Andries Both and Jan Miel, towards a more dignified and contemplative frame of mind.

Sweerts returned to the theme of artists working outdoors on numerous occassions, especially at the outset of his career when he was establishing himself in his adopted city of Rome. Notable early examples from this period include Artist Drawing by a Fountain (Present Location Unknown, formerly Chigi Collection), and Artist Drawing Bernini's Neptune and Triton by the Pond at the Villa Negroni-Montalto (Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, inv. no. 2358).¹ Guido Jansen has dated the Rotterdam picture to circa 1646-8, while Kultzen gives the former Chigi canvas a similar early dating.²  Given the close stylistic simmilarities with these pictures, coupled with the aforementioned foundational influences from the Bamboccianti, a similar dating of the present work to the artist's early Roman period appears appropriate.

1. See Kultzen, under Literature, cat. nos. 3 and 4.
2. Kultzen, op. cit.