Willem Koekkoek

MacConnal-Mason & Son Ltd, London
Charles and Mary Dungan-Chapman, London, circa 1960
Sale: Sotheby's London, 13 June 2006, lot 340
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas has been relined. The work is in good condition and presents extremely well. There is a pattern of very fine craquelure throughout, mainly visible only under close inspection. Ultra-violet light reveals some scattered small spots and finely applied lines of retouching in the sky, some spots in the far upper right and left corner and in the pavement to the right and below the signature. The main architectural composition appears to be untouched. This work is ready to hang. Presented in a decorative gilt frame with a nameplate.
"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."

In contrast to his father Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (lot 30) and grandfather Hermanus Koekkoek, respectively successful landscape and marine painters, Willem Koekkoek specialised exclusively in Dutch town views, which he painted with a luminous palette and an a eye for detail.

The present work, impressive in size and exceptionally fine in execution, blends all the qualities - architectural, perspectival, and colouristic - that mark Koekkoek out as one of the leading Dutch painters of townscapes. As a true representative of Dutch Romanticism, Willem Koekkoek was inspired by the picturesque qualities of seventeenth-century Dutch Golden Age painting.

In the centre of the composition, an elegant couple take a stroll. Other men, women and children stand in groups chatting amongst dogs and chickens while laundry hangs out to dry. The bright sunlight bathes the street in light and casts strong shadows, emphasising the architectural features, notably the fine Dutch gable on the left. 

While Koekkoek's romantic temperament drove him to compose vistas according to his fancy, the present work being an excellent example, here the artist appears to have been at least partly inspired by the Dutch town of Brielle. Viewed from along het Heultje, the town's St. Catharijnekerke, which was surmounted by a dome during the 19th century, has a similar appearance to the church tower in the present work.