Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus

I.Q. van Regteren Altena, Amsterdam,
by whose heirs sold, Paris, Christie's, 25 March 2015, in lot 21 (as Roman School, 17th century)

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Italiaanse tekeningen uit een Amsterdamse collectie, 1970, no. 98, fig. 63

A little light surface dirt and foxing, but overall condition good and fresh. Japan paper strips attached to all four edges, verso (from previous window mounting).
"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."

Though considered an anonymous Roman School drawing when in the van Regteren Altena collection, this drawing seems in fact to be a characteristic work by Stradanus, which may previously have evaded identification because pure landscapes are very rare in the artist's surviving works.  There are, however, compelling similarities with the execution of the details of landscape and foliage in other small sketches, notably those in the very important corpus of some 200 such sketches in the Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York.¹  Outside that collection, rapid sketches like this by Stradanus are, however, largely unknown.

1.  See A. Baroni Vannucci, Jan Van Der Straet detto Giovanni Stradano, Milan 1997, in particular nos. 608, 612, 624, 633