Jan Josefsz. van Goyen

With E. Slatter, London, by 1947;
Cyril Hutchinson;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 1 April 1960, lot 72, to J. Mitchell;
With Kunsthandel Salomon Lilian, Amsterdam, 1994;
From whom acquired by the present owner.

H. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596-1656, Amsterdam 1973, vol. II, p. 426, cat. no. 951, reproduced. 

The panel is uncradled, flat and stable. The painting is presentable and can be hung as is. The foreground landscape and figures are very well retained while, as one would expect, the sky is somewhat thinner having been painted that way to begin with. There is a small horizontal split in the panel, or possibly a slight separation in a join, at center right. This is slightly visible to naked eye but not distracting. There is a very small chip to the panel at the extreme lower left corner. Under UV light: there are numerous very small retouches throughout the sky, mostly in the form of inpaints along the wood grain to address the aforementioned thinness. Some retouching can be seen along the split/join mentioned above and on a diagonal scratch in sky at upper right. Another retouch along a probably old scratch at upper center and another in sky at lower left. The landscape and figures look good. Offered in a faux ebony wood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.