Lot 263
  • 263

Attributed to Jacques de Gheyn II

Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
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Description

  • Jacques de Gheyn II
  • Sheet of studies of grotesque heads
  • Pen and brown ink, over traces of black chalk
  • 190 by 167 mm; 7½ by 6 5/8  in

Provenance

Sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 10 November 1998, lot 27

Condition

Hinge mounted in two places along the upper edge to a modern mount. The sheet has yellowed somewhat and there is evidence of some very minor foxing to areas of the sheet. There is a small nick to the upper left corner and an old crease to the mouth of the centre left grotesque. The pen and ink medium remains in predominantly good condition, with the image strong throughout. Sold unframed.
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.

Catalogue Note

This striking sheet of studies can be convincingly attributed to de Gheyn, as regards both technique and subject-matter. Numerous drawings attest to the artist's enduring fascination with diabolical and fantastical subjects, and although most of these are executed in his looser, wilder manner, the present sheet contains many characteristic elements of his style as it appears in drawings of other types, especially in areas such as the insides of the creatures' mouths and the curlicues of their hair. Good comparative examples are the study of a horse, in the Stichting P. en N. de Boer, Amsterdam, and also the sheet of studies of storks, in the Lugt Collection, in the latter of which the mise-en-page is also similar to the present sheet.1 1.  I.Q. van Regteren Altena, Jacques de Gheyn, Three Generations, 3 vols., The Hague/Boston/London 1983, vol. II, cats. 846 and 877, vol. III, figs.82 and 217