JAN BAPTIST KOBELL | A shepherd resting in a cowshed, while his flock look on

With Thomas Le Claire Kunsthandel, New York,
from whom acquired by the present owners in 1994

Boston, St. Botolph Club, A Selection of Dutch 18th Century Drawings and Watercolors from the Gordon Collection, 2003, no. 9

Laid down on a thick paper backing and then subsequently hinge mounted in two places along the upper edge to a modern mount. There is an old repair to a small section of the upper left corner and some very minor foxing, visible in the sky. There are some very minor abrasions noticeable to darker areas of the drawing, however the work, in general, remains in remarkably good condition, with the watercolor fresh and vibrant and the image strong. Sold in a modern giltwood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This finely preserved and unusually large watercolor is a testament to Kobell's profound admiration for the great Dutch cattle painters of the 17th Century, namely Adriaen van de Velde (1636-1672), from whom the composition loosely derives, as well as Paulus Potter (1625-1654), both of whom Kobell strove, during the course of his relatively short life, to surpass artistically. The present work, which depicts a shepherd at rest in a ramshackle barn, surrounded by his inquisitive flock, is loosely based on a painting by Adriaen van de Velde, economically titled "The Hut" and today in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.¹ The subject matter, a somewhat nostalgic and bucolic portrayal of rural Holland, in which both the animals and landscape are idyllically portrayed, would have greatly appealed to collectors of the day, who in Kobell's work saw a continuation of the artistic traditions of the Dutch Golden Age.

Kobell clearly valued the key compositional elements employed in this watercolor, as the same combination of barn and tree were used again by the artist in an oil painting, previously in the Museum Fodor, Amsterdam and today in the Amsterdam Museum,² as well as a smaller watercolor, previously on the Viennese art market.<sup>3 

1.</sup> E. Bergvelt et al., Kabinetten, galerijen en musea : het verzamelen en presenteren van naturalia en kunst van 1500 tot heden, Zwolle 2005, p. 374, fig. 13.18, reproduced
^2. See Beschrijving der schilderijen, teekeningen, prenten, prentwerken en boeken, in het Museum Fodor, te Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1863, no.40
^3. With Nebehay, Vienna, by 1970 (catalogue untraced)