Salomon van Ruysdael

With Kunsthandel Pieter de Boer, Amsterdam, from whom purchased in 1948;
Adler, Buenos Aires;
by whom sold (anonymously) New York, Sotheby's, 12 January 1989, lot 52;
Where acquired by the present owner.

Amsterdam, C.V. Kunsthandel P. De Boer, Tentoonstelling van Oude Schilderijen, July - 15 September, reproduced on the cover.

W. Stechow, Salomon van Ruysdael, 1975, p. 80, no. 80B (as a late work).

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This oil on a single unsupported oak panel has been recently restored and is well framed. The varnish is slightly uneven, but the restorations seem to be good. They are visible in the sky under ultraviolet light, in numerous but small spots. These restorations in the sky are expected, and are very often unavoidable in the skies of works on panel from this period. There are very few restorations in the ships and water, and the condition in these areas is extremely good. I consider the condition to be respectable overall.
"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."

In this small roundel, Ruysdael perfectly captures the feeling of sailing on a river on a breezy day.  He first began painting estuarial landscapes in the early 1640s, but later in his career turned to a smaller format to create scenes such as this.  For the most part they were rectangular format, but Stechow records a handful of roundels and oval compositions (see Literature).    

The unusually good condition of the present work allows us to fully appreciate his dexterity and ability to work on a small scale.  The foreground figures and their boats are painted in thick impasto, giving remarkable texture to the surface of the panel.  He describes the choppy waves in short, decisive strokes, painting wet on wet, while using a thinner pigment to create the blanket of clouds that nearly cover the sky.