PIETER DE MOLIJN | A HILLY LANDSCAPE WITH TRAVELERS

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 23 April 1998, lot 167, for £29,900;

With Lane Fine Art, London;

From whom acquired.

When this painting sold at Sotheby’s New York in 1998 (see Provenance) its attribution to Pieter de Molijn was endorsed by Dr. Hans-Ulrich Beck on the basis of photographs. Born in London to Flemish parents, Molijn joined the Guild of Saint Luke in Haarlem in 1616 and became a prominent figure in its administration from 1630-49. Along with Jan van Goyen and Salomon van Ruysdael, Molijn was one of the key figures in the 'tonal phase' of Haarlem landscape painting. These works were characterized by their muted palettes restricted to yellows, browns, and greens, as well as their soft undulated landscape designs representing daily life. Through his accurate depiction of light and shade, which accentuates the motion-filled hill where the carriage travels, Molijn enlivens this depiction of an otherwise quiet scene.

^1. See Provenance.