Property from an American Private Collection

Arnold Boonen

Candlelit interior with a young man seated at a table, lighting his pipe

Auction Closed

May 25, 03:13 PM GMT

Estimate

70,000 - 90,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Property from an American Private Collection

Arnold Boonen

Dordrecht 1669 - 1729 Amsterdam

Candlelit interior with a young man seated at a table, lighting his pipe

oil on canvas

canvas: 13¼ by 10⅞ in.; 33.7 by 27.6 cm.

framed: 18½ by 16 in.; 47 by 40.6 cm.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.

This work is in very good condition. The stretcher is older, although probably not period to the painting. The canvas has been lined using wax as an adhesive. This wax lining is easily reversible. Given that the cracking to the paint layer is slightly raised, it may be wise to reverse the lining in the future and by doing so, provide a better surface. The painting seems to be clean.

No retouches are clearly visible when the work is examined under ultraviolet light. Some small retouches may have been applied to a pentimenti of the hand holding the candle to the left of the fingers. Retouches may have been added to slightly strengthen the dark folds of the coat beneath the right wrist. A couple of dots of retouching may be present in the lower right corner. There may be a few other restored losses in the vertical dark line in the center right: one area to the right of the candle and one further towards the top edge. Although the varnish reads slightly opaque when viewed under ultraviolet light and clearly identifying retouches is not possible, the overall condition of this work seems to be very good.

The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.

Private collection, The Hague;
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Christie's, 8 May 2007, lot 116;
With Johnny Van Haeften, London, 2007;
From whom acquired by the present owner.

Like his teacher, Godfried Schalcken, Arnold Boonen specialized in finely painted candlelit genre scenes. Here, Boonen combines the nocturne with the popular motif of smoking, which can signify a human vice as well as transience. Boonen's elite patrons, who included Tsar Peter the Great of Russia, marveled at the naturalism of the artist's treatment of different light sources and reflective surfaces, such as the silver tankard on the table.