Daniel Marot I

Hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Overall in good condition, medium remains fresh. Strips of paper have been added to the verso along the left and right margins for extra support, most probably due the the fragility of the paper in those areas. There are a few tears along the margins which have been repaired.
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.

Marot's designs for both interior and exterior projects were hugely influential.  A similar signed garden view was sold, in these Rooms, 23 January 2001, lot 291, and a design for a garden theater was in the Houthakker collection.¹  Many of Marot's drawings were probably for stage sets, but some, like the present one, may have been for actual gardens.  

Marot trained at the Court of Louis XIV, but as a Huguenot was forced to flee to Holland after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.  His most important projects for garden designs and ornament were made for his patron, William of Orange, for the palaces of Het Loo and Hampton Court. 

1.  Peter Fuhring, Design into Art. Drawings for Architecture and Ornament: The Lodewijk Houthakker Collection, London 1989, cat. 975, reproduced