

PROPERTY FROM THE MERTENS COLLECTION
Van Goyen's application of chalk, using both soft and pressured lines enables him to produce an array of lighting effects across his landscape and to convey a convincing sense of depth and recession. There is also great movement within his late drawings, where one can feel his figures rowing in boats in the foreground and meandering on the paths beyond.
Van Goyen's drawings fall into two main categories. The first are his rapid sketches produced on his travels around the Netherlands, which were later used as the basis for paintings or more finished drawings. The second group, to which the present sheet belongs, are highly finished compositions, which are like works of art in their own right. The majority of these are signed and dated and are larger than his sketches and executed in the studio. For other examples of Van Goyen's drawings see lots 91, 94, 95 and 96.