老亨德里克‧凡‧德‧博爾希特

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 on panel shows no reinforcements on the reverse. The panel is flat and unbroken. The paint layer is in very good condition, with only a few retouches along the bottom edge and on the upper left edge of the grey pitcher in the center rear of the group. There are a few random dots elsewhere, but the remainder of the picture is generally unretouched and in lovely condition. The work should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This hitherto unrecorded and idiosyncratic grouping of ancient coins, glass, and clay vessels is an exciting addition to the small oeuvre of Hendrik van der Borcht I. Three further extant still lifes of similarly composed compositions by Van der Borcht the Elder are known, all closely related to this intimate panel. One, a larger work of circular format is in the Hermitage (fig. 1). Another is in the Historisches Museum, Frankfurt; and a third, previously in the collection of Julius Held, was sold Christie’s New York, 27 January 2009, lot 37, for $182,500.

Prior to the discovery of the present panel, the attribution of this cohesive group of works remained somewhat elusive, given that both van der Borcht the Elder, and his son Hendrik van der Borcht the Younger (1614-1665) were both painters of renown and with similar working styles. Additionally, they were both fascinated with objects from antiquity and were both exposed to such rarities through not only their own collections, but also through that of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel, with whom they built a strong working relationship. In fact, the younger van der Borcht served as keeper of the Earl's collection from 1637. Thus, differentiating between the two hands has proven difficult over the years. Recently, Fred Meijer has attributed all three aforementioned extant paintings to the same hand, and likely Van der Borcht the Elder, with a suggested circa date of 1620-30 for the Hermitage tondo. However, with the recent discovery of this small panel as the only dated (1630) example, we are finally able to confidently confirm the attribution of all four still lifes from this group to Hendrik van der Borcht the Elder. Van der Borcht the Elder had been active as painter in Frankenthal since 1611, while Van der Borcht the Younger was only fifteen or sixteen by 1630. He had probably only received limited training in his father’s workshop and it is unlikely that he was capable of executing a composition of this delicacy and refinement.

Several objects from van der Borcht's personal collection appear in more than one of his still life's. The thin glass vase in the immediate foreground here recurs in the former-Held composition, and the earthenware bowl on the ledge at left is also depicted in the Hermitage roundel. In all compositions the various coins are painted not only in meticulous detail, but most are recognizable. At least two coins in the present composition, rendered in actual size, once again appear in the ex-Held picture, which have been identified as a Greek silver coin with the head of Philip of Macedon and a Roman bronze Sestertius coin.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer for endorsing the attribution, based on photographs.