Lot 304
  • 304

Jacob Cats

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Jacob Cats
  • Scene on a winter evening, figures on a frozen river in a country village
  • Pen and gray and brown ink and gray and colored washes;
    signed, dated and inscribed, verso: J: Cats Invt.1775/winter, avond.

Condition

Hard to tell if the paper was intended to be darkish, as the subject is evening scene. Verso definitely has darkened and there are two patches of glue from an old mount. Some small damage top left corner and some slight wear across top edge. Traces of brown discoloration stain on the verso faintly visible center recto in sky.
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.

Catalogue Note

Cats began his career in Amsterdam as a painter of wall-hangings, but when this style of interior decoration became less fashionable, he turned to producing highly finished landscape drawings and watercolors.  Winter scenes must have been particularly popular, affording as they did a lively variety of activity on frozen rivers, like the present example.  Works of the 1770s are relatively rare, most of his dated drawings being of the 1780s and '90s, and this drawing is also on an unusually large scale.