ROELANDT SAVERY | A mountainous landscape with a foundry and blast furnace by a cascading waterfall

Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Christie's, 9 July 1993, lot 17;
With Rafael Valls Ltd., London, 1993–94;
Anonymous sale, Lucerne, Galerie Fischer, 19–21 June 1997, lot 2012;
Anonymous sale, Paris, Millon & Associés, 6 December 2002, lot 24; 
Where acquired by the aunt of the present owner.

The canvas is laid down on panel, which is formed of two horizontal planks with square battens supporting the join. The paint surface is relatively clean, and the varnish slightly discoloured. There is evidence of slight wear, notably in the sky and blue mountains upper left. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals retouching to these areas, and scattered throughout the rest of the sky - notably the clouds upper centre. There are further retouchings along the horizontal join, and scattered in the foreground. In overall fair condition.
"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."

Renowned landscape and animal painter Roelandt Savery earned the attention of Emperor Rudolf II and worked for his court in Prague between 1603–13, where he studied Rudolf's menagerie and hunting grounds. The Emperor also sent Savery on an expedition to Tyrol in 1606–07, where the artist studied mountain peaks and waterfalls, on which many later paintings including the present were based, and which are among the earliest interpretations of these natural phenomena.  The foundry and blast furnace are also rare early representations of the industrial process of iron production. Rocky topography such as that depicted here, rich in natural resources, was exploited from the 15th century onward by European rulers for the production of iron, which was used to manufacture nails, armour, gunpowder and weapons, and to equip armies competing for territory on both the continent and in the New World.

Savery continued to paint these rocky forests with torrents from as early as 1609 until the late 1620s, and because they vary little in handling and colour, they are not easy to date; the numerals by the signature on the present work appear to be '1619', but might also be read as '1609.'