Jan de Bisschop

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 13 May 1920, in lot 69 (to Meatyard);
purchased from Meatyard in 1920

London, Royal Academy, The Paul Oppé Collection, 1958, no. 431;
Ottawa, The National Gallery of Canada, Exhibition of Works from the Paul Oppé Collection, 1961, no. 106

Darkest areas of ink and wash have sunk in and flattened somewhat, but composition still very readable. Paper very slightly thin in bottom left corner, but generally in good condition. Sold in a modern brown 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. 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."

This drawing and lots 103-104 belong to a series of extremely charming, very freely executed drawings by De Bisschop of views in and around The Hague.  Thanks to the artist's careful, handwritten notes on the verso, the exact location depicted in this atmospheric sketch can be identified.  De Bisschop was sitting in the garden of his friend and mentor Constantijn Huygens, just off the central 'Plein' in The Hague.  The house behind the tree in the centre of the composition belonged to Willem Adriaen van Nassau, Count of Odijk.  The one immediately to its left, with the small central tower, belonged to the property speculator Gerrit Maes, and at the extreme left there is a hint of the corner of the Mauritshuis.  Another, much larger drawing of the same view, made from a spot very slightly further to the right, is in the Haags Gemeentearchief, The Hague,¹ and another small sketch, looking further towards the left and showing the full façade of the Mauritshuis, is in the Rijksmuseum.²

De Bisschop completed his legal studies at Leiden University in 1652, and moved to The Hague, to take up a legal appointment at the Court.  Prior to his enrollment at Leiden, he is thought to have studied drawing with Bartholomeus Breenbergh, and although art was never his primary occupation, he clearly managed to find enough free time, in between his official duties, to execute many drawings and prints of landscapes and other subjects.  Through his position at the Royal Court, De Bisschop became close with the poet, statesman and secretary to the Princes of Orange, Constantijn Huygens, in whose garden he was sitting when he made this drawing. 

In terms of dating, the fact that de Bisschop has identified the owner of the main building as Count Odijk indicates that the drawing was executed after 1668, when the Count acquired the house, upon his marriage to Elisabeth van der Nisse.  

^1.  R.E. Jellema and M. Plomp, Episcopius.  Jan de Bisschop (1628-1671), advocaat en tekenaar, exh. cat., Amsterdam, Museum het Rembrandthuis, 1992, p. 33, no. 17

^2.  Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. RP-T-1888-A-1589; J.G. van Gelder, 'Jan de Bisschop', Oud Holland, vol. LXXXVI, no. 4, 1971, p. 69, fig. 30