DUTCH PICTURES in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DUTCH PICTURES in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen Christopher White with technical notes supplied by Rosanna de Sancha Royal Collection Trust www.royalcollection.org.uk 78 DUTCH PICTURES THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 79 THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 80 DUTCH PICTURES THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 81 WILLEM VAN AELST quite substantial areas of loss and abrasion in the background corners and around the Born probably at Delft in 1625/6; edges, which have been filled and toned. died probably at Amsterdam after There is abrasion in the background and in 1683. He was a pupil of his uncle, the black detailing, particularly the feathers. Evaert van Aelst, and a follower of TECHNICAL NOTES : Willem Kalf and J.D. de Heem. Original tacking margins intact. A line of From 1645 to 1649 he was in France, cusping is visible along the tacking edge in whence he travelled to Italy, staying the lower light grey ground layer but not there until 1656. For a time he was in the subsequent black background layer. with Otto Marseus van Schrieck, There appear to be two ground layers: a court painter to the Grand Duke a lower, thin cream ground and a uniformly of Tuscany. By 1657 he was living in applied light greyish umber layer. An earlier blue layer for the hunting bag is still Amsterdam, where he probably reflected in the handle of the hunting knife. spent the remainder of his life. It is visible along lines of abraded craquelure. He was a still-life painter of flower Both ends of the hunting horn were added and fruit pieces, dead birds and in over completed lower paint layers. breakfast pieces. No. 9 was presumably painted in Amsterdam, immediately after the artist’s return from Italy. As T. Paul (in Houston and Washington 2012, no. 8) has pointed out, it is the first of a number of paintings by Van Aelst (e.g. Still Life with dead Game , dated 1661, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington (1982.36.1; Wheelock 1995a, pp. 3–4) and the Hunting Still Life with a velvet Bag , c. 1665, in the Sarah Blaffer 9 Foundation (Houston and Washington 2012, 10 no. 21) to include a relief of Diana and 9. Dead Game with Trophies of James II (BL, MS 1890, fol. 61v; Bathoe, Actaeon as a support to the large table On a draped table, a bunch of grapes, Craquelure pattern results in slight greyish of the Chase James II (508)); at Kensington Palace by bearing the still life. The composition of this several walnuts and three peaches, on one surface. 1697 (BL, Harl. MS 7025, fol. 193), but at sculpture clearly recalls such a work as the of which are a snail and a fly; behind, plants RCIN 403984 Windsor Castle in the reign of Queen Anne gilt silver plaquette with the same subject on which a butterfly is resting. TECHNICAL NOTES : Oil on canvas, 105.7 × 90.2 cm (Queen Anne, Windsor (136)); at Hampton by Paulus van Vianen, in the Centraal Warm light cream ground, which is visible 5 1 Court by 1784 (Walpole 1928, p. 80). ROVENANCE (4 1 ⁄8 × 3 5 ⁄2 in.) Museum, Utrecht (14745; see Wheelock P : around the leaves in the thinner areas of 1995a, p. 4, fig. 1). Whether the inclusion Recorded in store at Kensington Palace in painting in the background. Much of the Signed and dated lower left-hand corner: EXHIBITED : of this relief imparts a moralising message the reign of Queen Anne (Queen Anne, still life appears to have been painted over W. V. aelst. 1657 RA 1946–7, no. 354; QG 1971, no. 92; to the painting is debatable (for further Kensington , Store (8): ‘Van Alst. Grapes a thin cool background layer. The walnuts, Hull 1981, no. 3; Houston and Washington discussion, see Wheelock 1995a, p. 4). Peaches and Wallnutts’); later at St James’s fly and snail are added in over the completed On a partially draped table, supported by a 2012, no. 8. A variant, lacking the four birds Palace and Buckingham House; removed composition. sculpted relief, a jungle fowl (?) and a wader upper left, but otherwise identical, was in to Hampton Court on 19 August 1833; (ruff?) separated by a hunting horn, with LITERATURE : the H.I.A. Raedt van Oldenbarnevelt subsequently at Kew Palace. No. 10 is a characteristic work, which a belt, a hunting knife with a rock-crystal Mrs Jameson 1842, p. 352, no. 331; collection, The Hague (sale, Weinmüller, shows an arrangement of grapes, peaches, handle and other instruments of the chase Law 1881, 1898, no. 468. Munich, 7–9 May 1958, lot 718a, fig. 43). LITERATURE : foliage and snail similar to that in the picture, on the right; suspended from above, three Mrs Jameson 1842, p. 383, no. 596; Law signed and dated 1670, formerly in the finches, a kingfisher, a falcon’s hood, and a CONDITION : 1881, 1898, no. 538; Law 1924, p. 14, no. 16. Widener collection, Philadelphia (sale, Muller, partridge in front of a black grouse. In 1871 Redgrave noted that the canvas 10. Still Life with Fruit Amsterdam, 26 April 1910, lot 2, repr.), was ‘lined, sound’ and the paint layers ‘in CONDITION : and to the Grapes and Peaches , signed PROVENANCE : good condition’. Restored by Drown in RCIN 403563 In 1868 Redgrave noted that the canvas and dated 1670, in the Louvre, Paris Probably acquired by Charles II, but first 1939, Freeman in 1961 and full treatment in Oil on canvas, 64.1 × 49.5 cm was ‘striped ticking ... sound ... over (Foucart 2009, p. 78, no. R.F. 666, repr.). 1 1 recorded in the King’s Closet in the 1979. Generally in good condition, but with (2 5 ⁄4 × 1 9 ⁄2 in.) wedged’ and the paint layers ‘in good Private Lodgings at Whitehall in the reign pronounced weave interference. There are condition’. Generally in sound condition. 150 DUTCH PICTURES THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 151 BARENT GRAAT 55. A Family Group TECHNICAL NOTES : Lined. Cusping is visible along both vertical Born at Amsterdam 1628; died there RCIN 405341 edges. The ground is a warm grey colour. in 1709. He was the pupil of his uncle, Oil on canvas, 57.9 × 67.4 cm There is a loosely feathered reserve for the 3 1 an animal painter, who is probably to (2 2 ⁄4 × 2 6 ⁄2 in.) figures, which are painted in separately from be identified with Hans Bodt. He was the landscape. The standing man in brown Signed and dated lower right: B.G. f. 1658 is painted at a separate stage, over the a painter of genre, historical scenes completed landscape. Some of the hands are and portraits. The last, which are very The family, composed of father and mother, also painted over completed lower layers, carefully executed on a small scale, are seated in the centre, and two sons on the e.g. the standing woman’s right hand and the sometimes reminiscent of Gerard ter left, is seated round a table on a terrace, proper right arm of the seated man centre. Borch. with a third son and a daughter, holding a small dog, standing behind the parents Waagen (1838): ‘of great animation in the (for their costume, see below); a servant heads, and very bright and clear colouring’; approaches with a jug; to the left, a Mrs Jameson: ‘beautifully executed’. colonnade; behind, a landscape with farm No. 55 is a characteristic example of buildings. the artist’s small-scale group portraits. At its appearance at Christie’s in 1811, the sitters PROVENANCE : were described as ‘Burgomaster Six and his Anon. sale, Amsterdam, 21 August 1799, Family’. There is, however, no reason for this lot 46, bt Teijs (information from M. van der identification, which was already discarded Hut). Purchased by George IV from the by the time the painting was exhibited at the Anon. sale at Christie’s, 2 March 1811, British Institution; Jan Six, Burgomaster of lot 60, and received on 2 March 1811 at Amsterdam in 1691, was only born in 1618 Carlton House (Jutsham, R/D , fol. 153), and married in 1655, and the date of where it was recorded in 1816 (129) in execution and the ages and composition the Ante-Room on the ground floor; later of the family fit no other branch of the in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace: Six family. 1841 (162), 1852 (95). Reynolds has drawn attention to the different style of costume worn by the EXHIBITED : parents, characteristic of the first half of BI 1826, no. 44; BI 1827, no. 146; QGE and the century, with that worn by the children, QG 2004–5; QGE and QG 2009–10, no. 4; which illustrates the change in taste, QG 2013. influenced by France, which took place in Holland c. 1650. The father has an old- LITERATURE : fashioned ruff, while the sons have collars Waagen 1838, II , p. 359; Mrs Jameson 1844, and wear their hair longer. The son on the no. 44; Waagen 1854, II , p. 11; Bürger 1858b, left wears a fashionable short doublet and no. 95; Lloyd 2004, pp. 66–7, repr.; Shawe- ribbon-trimmed petticoat breeches. Whereas Taylor 2009, no. 4, repr.; A. Reynolds 2013, the mother sports a black vlieger gown and pp. 23, 220, fig. 199. linen cap, her daughter is dressed in a low-necked bodice and skirt of blue silk, 55 CONDITION : together with a white silk petticoat. In 1861 Redgrave noted that the canvas ‘has been lined’ and that the paint layers ‘are sound and in good condition’.