Salvator Rosa

Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, King of Naples (1751–1825), Naples;
Louis Philippe I, King of France (1773–1850);
Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale (1822–1897), fifth son of King Louis Philippe and Marie Amalie of Bourbon-Sicilies, Twickenham, by 1851;
Probably sold by him in England in 1857;
European private collection;
Anonymous sale, Vienna, Dorotheum, 15 October 2013, lot 551.

Rome, Dipinti , disegni e incisioni di Salvator Rosa raccolti ed esposti da Mario Barsanti in via Margutta, 23 February – 18 March 1957, no. 8.

G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, London 1857, vol. IV, p. 262;
A. Graves, Summary of and index to Waagen, London 1912, p. 178;
M. Barsanti, Dipinti, disegni e incisioni di Salvator Rosa raccolti ed esposti da Mario Barsanti in via Margutta, exh. cat., Rome 1957, cat. no. 8, reproduced fig. 8;
L. Salerno, Salvator Rosa, L'opera completa, Milan 1975, p. 96, cat. no. 135, reproduced p. 95;
C. Volpi, Salvator Rosa, Rome 2014, p. 498, cat. no. 181, reproduced.

The following condition report is provided by Hamish Dewar Ltd who are external specialists and not employees of Sotheby's: Structural Condition The canvas has been lined and is attached to a keyed wooden stretcher with four diagonal corner batons. There is a large canvas patch on the reverse, which measures approximately 20 x 18 cm in the lower centre as viewed from the reverse. Paint Surface The paint surface has a relatively even varnish layer. The paint surface is in the most part secure but there is a small area of restoration in the trees in the upper left of the composition which is slightly lifting. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows a slightly discoloured varnish layer. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows some areas of retouching, the most significant of which are: 1) An area in the upper left of the composition in the trees, measuring approximately 18 x 7 cm, 2) A retouching in the lower centre of the composition covering an 'L' shaped repaired tear, this corresponds to the patch mentioned above and measures approximately 7 x 10 cm, 3) a smaller 'L' shaped retouching beneath this measuring approximately 2 x 2 cm, 3) a thin vertical line of retouching in the lower centre of the composition near the lower horizontal framing edge which measures approximately 5 cm, 5) lines of strengthening in the upper branches of the tree in the centre of the composition, and 6) small scattered spots and lines mostly in the sky and the upper horizontal framing edge. Some of these retouchings are visible in natural light. There are other scattered retouchings. There may be other retouchings beneath the discoloured varnish layers which are not visible under ultra-violet light. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in reasonably good condition and would benefit from a more sympathetic lining and cleaning, restoration and revarnishing if required.
"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 important landscape from the Orléans collection has been dated by Professor Caterina Volpi to the late 1650s, by which time Rosa was committed to an unrestrained classicism in the manner of Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain. This painting, and its pendant Landscape with Three Figures,¹ were purchased by the Duke of Aumale from his father Louis Philippe, King of France, upon the death of the latter in 1850. He bought his father's entire collection for a sum of 100,000 ducats. Much of the Duke of Aumale's collection is now in the Musée Condé, Chantilly, but the present work and its pendant are assumed to be among those paintings that he sold in England during the mid-1800s.

1. See Salerno 1975, p. 498, cat. no. 180, reproduced p. 309, fig. 251.