Aert van der Neer

With Brunner Gallery, Paris, by 1919;

With Hermann Abels, Cologne, by 1929 and until at least 1936;

Joseph Weld, Lulworth Manor, Dorset, by 1967;

Private collection, The Netherlands;

Anonymous sale ("The Property of A Lady"), Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 11 November 2008, lot 32, where unsold;

Thereafter acquired by the present owner.

Bournemouth, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery, Paintings from Lulworth Castle Gallery, 10 May – 3 July 1967, no. 9.

W. Schulz, Aert van der Neer, Doornspijk 2002, p. 278, cat. no. 615 (as probably authentic).

This painting is a fine and characteristic example of Van der Neer's much admired nocturnal landscapes. Although in the present work, the time of day is still unspecified, either at sunset or after dark, the painting ably illustrates the artist's exceptional talent in rendering light and capturing the subtle definitions of mood and atmosphere.

When last offered for sale, Dr. Wolfgang Schulz endorsed attribution of this landscape to Aert van der Neer on the basis of photographs. In his opinion, the painting was most probably painted in the late 1640s. From 1643 onwards, Van der Neer occupied himself intensively with the phenomena of illumination and light. In these years, as the result of intensive artistic experimentation, he developed the characteristic moonlit landscape.¹ The second half of the 1640s was also the most productive period in Van der Neer's life. Despite the many evening and night scenes that comprise his oeuvre, each one is unique and displays a different mood. This painting is conceived on a grander scale than most of his nocturnes. In it Van der Neer has used a variety of warm brown and ochre tones to create a remarkable sense of space. The reflections of the moonlight not only touch the surface of the river, but also gently highlight the figures on the fence, the tree trunks and the willow stump, creating a unifying sense of atmosphere.

1. See Schulz under Literature, p. 37.