DIRK VERRIJK | A view in Bodegraven

Sale, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 2-5 March 1948, lot 81;
sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 22 November 1989, lot 165,
where acquired by the present owners

Laid down on a card backing and subsequently hinge mounted to a decorative mount. The sheet has discolored somewhat and there are areas of light brown staining to parts of the sky. There are some slight abrasions to the left half of the lower edge. The watercolor remains in relatively good condition with 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.

Though the view in this characteristic sheet by Verrijk has traditionally been identified as the historic town of Voorburg, a far more convincing argument can, in fact, be made for it instead being a depiction of Bodegraven. This theory is most convincingly reinforced by another sheet by Verrijk, smaller in scale, but of an almost identical viewpoint, which is not only signed and dated 1777, but also inscribed by the artist: Gesigt het Dorp Boode-graaven by Lyden &c;, and today preserved in Rotterdam as part of the Atlas van Stolk.^{1 1.} Rotterdam, The Schielandshuis, Atlas van Stolk inv. no. 3930; A.G. Schulte, Dirk Verrijk 1734-1786, Tekeningen en Schetsen, De Provincies Noord- en Zuid-Holland, Utrecht en Zeeland, Alphen aan de Rijn 1993, p. 20, p. 49, no. 112, p. 171, reproduced