Lot 90
  • 90

JAN JOSEFSZ VAN GOYEN | River landscape with a church

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • River landscape with a church
  • Black chalk and brown wash within pen and brown ink framing lines;signed with initials and dated in black chalk, lower left: VG 1651
  • 196 by 310 mm; 7 3/4  by 12 1/4  in

Provenance

Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), London (L.2445),
his estate sale, via Samuel Woodburn, London, 4 June 1860, lot 449 (12?- Ensom);
Marius Paulme (1863-1928), Paris (L.1910),
his sale, Paris, 13 May 1929, lot 96;
Hendrikus Egbertus ten Cate (1868-1955), Almelo;
with C.G. Boerner, Dusseldorf, (Cat. 1964, no. 45);
from whom purchased by Peter Mertens in 1967

Exhibited

Leiden, Stedelijk Museum; Arnhem, Gemeentemuseum, Jan Van Goyen, 1960, no. 87

Literature

Dr. D. Hannema, Catalogue of the H.E. ten Cate Collection, Rotterdam 1955, no. 222;
H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen, 1596-1656, vol. I, Amsterdam 1972, p. 101, no. 282

Condition

Hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Light staining throughout the sheet, more noticeable in the upper section and stronger at the upper left margin. Small nick in the sheet at the upper left margin and the tips of the lower right and left corners are missing. Chalk and wash still strong and vibrant. 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 grand and large scale drawing is a superb example of Van Goyen's mature style, dated to 1651, it perfectly showcases the artist's mastery of chalk and wash creating a complex yet lively and spontaneous composition. Van Goyen's application of chalk, using both soft and pressured lines enables him to produce an array of lighting effects across his landscape and to convey a convincing sense of depth and recession.   There is also great movement within his late drawings, where one can feel his figures rowing in boats in the foreground and meandering on the paths beyond.

Van Goyen's drawings fall into two main categories. The first are his rapid sketches produced on his travels around the Netherlands, which were later used as the basis for paintings or more finished drawings. The second group, to which the present sheet belongs, are highly finished compositions, which are like works of art in their own right.  The majority of these are signed and dated and are larger than his sketches and executed in the studio.  For other examples of Van Goyen's drawings see lots 91, 94, 95 and 96.