Jan Josefsz. van Goyen

Colonel Wardlaw Ramsay, London;
His sale, Berlin, Lepke, 7 February 1911, lot 25;
Where probably acquired by a private collector, in whose family it remained until sold anonymously, ("Property from a Private Collection"), London, Sotheby's, 12 December 2002, lot 19;
David Koetser, 2004.

C. Hofstede de Groot, A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch painters of the seventeenth century, London 1927, vol. VIII, p. 301, cat. no. 1194;
David Koetser Gallery, advertisement, Weltkunst, 74, no. 6, 2004.

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 painting on a round oak panel looks well as is. There is no reason to restore the picture at this time. Under ultraviolet light, one can see that the darker colors of the figures, buildings and trees are beautifully preserved. It is only in the sky and in the lighter colors of the ice where there is some typical wood grain that has received retouching. The retouches are well applied, and the picture is in very good condition.
"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."

Following Colonel Wardlaw Ramsay’s 1911 sale (see Provenance), this charming Winter Landscape was acquired by a private collector and remained hidden from public for over 90 years.  Though published by Hofstede de Groot (see Literature) the painting appears to have been unknown to Hans-Ulrich Beck and was not included in his catalogue raisonnés.  At the time of the 2002 sale, however, he endorsed the attribution on the basis of photographs (see Provenance).  While the final digit of the date is now indistinct, the scholar suggested it would likely originally have read 1623.¹ 

Beck found this panel comparable to two other winter scenes by the artist, both of which are also circular in format and similar in date.  One was that formerly in the collection of Mrs. Geoffrey Hart, London, which is signed and dated though, incidentally, it is also missing the last digit of the date.²  The second, now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. SK-A-3946), is signed and dated, I. v. Goien 1625.  In all three paintings, van Goyen places a group of skating figures in the foreground, leaning as they glide with legs outstretched.  A tree stripped of its leaves and a building are then placed to one side in the middle ground, and further buildings are set in the distance, on the far bank of the frozen river.  These devices were particularly favored by the artist, who employed them regularly to divide his compositions and create a convincing sense of perspective.

1.  Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 12 December 2002, lot 19.
2.  H.U. Beck, Jan van Goyen, 1596-1656, vol. II, Amsterdam 1973,  p. 3, cat. no. 3, reproduced.  Beck dates this picture to 1623.