Simon Jacobsz. de Vlieger

Bridges-MacDonald collection, Berniesdale, mid-19th century (according to a heraldic device on the reverse);
Probably acquired by James Dunnachie, Glenboig House, Lincolnshire, circa 1920;
Thence by descent until sold;
Anonymous sale, London, Phillips, 2 December 1997, lot 87;
David Koetser, 1998.

Baltimore 1999, no. 60.

N. MacLaren, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 1600-1900, London 1960, p. 442;
Baltimore 1999, pp. 142-143, cat. no 60, reproduced p. 143.

The following condition report has been provided by Kirsten Younger (212-288-4370, kyounger@nyc.rr.com), an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The painting is in good condition overall. It is painted on a panel support that is flat and stable and is in good condition. The panel has a horizontal grain direction and beveled edges on the bottom and sides. The top edge is not quite straight, an indication that it may have been trimmed. There is some old insect damage along the bottom edge that has been repaired with very narrow wood inserts, one at the right corner and one toward the left. The figures and the boats are in very good condition. The trees and grass are painted with delicate impasto and appear to be well preserved overall. The water with the finely painted ripples and reflections is in good condition with a vertical line of retouching that extends down from the horizon to the left of the distant boats and a few retouches toward the left edge and along the bottom edge. In the sky there are spots of retouching towards the top to the left of the clouds, along the right edge, to the right of the flag on the large boat and along the wood grain in other areas. These are very finely painted and well matched and appear to be covering areas of thinness where the pink color of the ground is visible. The signature at the lower right corner appears to be intact. The varnish is clear and the surface gloss is even.
"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."

This tranquil scene, with Dutch kaags cruising in a gentle breeze on an estuary in the early morning light, is an unusual departure from Simon de Vlieger’s typical marine paintings.  More commonly associated with the representation of open seas, depictions of inland waters by the artist are rare and only a few survive today.¹  The painting is signed on the collapsed jetty by the riverbank at right and, according to Jan Kelch, can be dated between 1630 and 1635.²

De Vlieger’s versatility as a marine painter led him to become one of the leading artists in the field, forging the direction of the genre in Holland in the 1630s and 1640s.  The artist was skilled in the depiction of calm seascapes, wild stormy oceans and dramatic shipwrecks and he recreated his subjects with remarkable variety and invention.  His influence on artists of the following generation is significant and the impact of his painting can be seen in the work of Willem van de Velde the Younger, Jan van de Cappelle and Hendrik Dubbels among others.³  Though the painting recalls the serene inland waters painted by Salomon van Ruysdael, the composition in fact predates van Ruysdael’s work by as much as a decade.⁴

 

1.  Private written communication with Jan Kelch, dated 19 February 2015.
2.  Ibid.
3.  G.S. Keyes, “Simon de Vlieger”, in The Dictionary of Art, J. Turner ed., London and New York 1996, vol. 32, p. 673.
4.  Private written communication with Jan Kelch, dated 19 February 2015.