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244 Acquisitions for the English Royal Collection from the I759 Abraham

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244 Acquisitions for the English Royal Collection from the I759 Abraham MICHIEL C. PLOMP Acquisitions for the English Royal Collection from the I759 Abraham van Broyel Sale* Throughout the eighteenth century, both art dealers from abroad as well as local dealers commissioned by foreign collectors eagerly purchased Dutch seventeenth- century paintings in Holland. This, of course, is a well-known fact. Less known, however, is that during the same period foreign interest in Dutch drawings was also emerging rapidly. By the mid-eighteenth century important (princely) collec- tions in Leipzig, Dresden, Paris, Chatsworth and Vienna contained a significant number of Dutch drawings or owners of these collections were actively engaged in acquiring them. Curiously enough, eighteenth-century Dutch connoisseurs seem to have hardly noticed this drain. As late as the early nineteenth century it was still believed that the Dutch drawing trade was merely of local interest, as can be deduced from Adriaan van der Willigen's amazement that at the 1814 sale of the collection of Hendrik van Eyl Sluyter 'drawings were bought for England. One knows that normally the trade in drawings is something that is restricted within the country.'2 I Adriaenvan de Velde,River Landscape with a Roadand Travellers,brush drawingin brown and greywash over graphite,with touchesof watercolourand bodycolour,140 x 256mm. The RoyalLibrary, Windsor Castle (inv. no. Iz9i8). © 2004 Her MajestyQueen ElizabethII. 244 2 Here attributed to Jacob de Wit (said to be over a sketch by Peter Paul Rubens),Diogenes in Search of an HonestMan, blackand red chalk strengthenedwith pen and black ink, greywash and watercolour,242 x 388mm. The RoyalLibrary, Windsor Castle (inv.no.6418). @ 2004 Her MajestyQueen Elizabethn. Eighteenth-century interest in Dutch drawings is clearly evident in the English Royal Collection. Out of a total of 732 Netherlandish sheets at least 490 were ac- quired during or just before the reign of George m (1738-1820; r. 1760-I820). The 490 sheets are described in Inventory A, dating to about 1800, or they have the four-digit inventory number that indicates they were owned by George m. We are well aware of the early provenance of many of the Netherlandish sheets now at Windsor Castle through the admirable 1994 collection catalogue by Christopher White and Charlotte Crawley.3 Unfortunately, however, specific provenances of individual sheets or of certain groups among the Dutch and Flemish drawings are virtually unknown. For that reason it is gratifying that not long ago I came across a group of about 130 drawings bought by the Amsterdam dealer Pieter Yver (1712-1787) at the Abraham van Broyel sale of which took place in Amster- dam, of which sixty-two must have been acquired soon afterwards by the English Royal Collection, as they all belong to the above-mentioned eighteenth-century group. The presentation of the sixty-two drawings (the provenances of fifty-eight are certain; four are less so) is the main goal of this article; in addition I will discuss several attribution issues. In cases where the 1759 sale catalogue offers a different name from that given by White and Crawley, the former is generally more accurate. Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-1751), was probably the first member of the House of Hanover to have an active interest in the royal drawing collection, which had been initiated so enthusiastically by Charles m. About 175o Frederick acquired from Dr. Richard Mead an important group of works by Nicholas Poussin. Af- ter the prince's untimely death a year later his eldest son, the future George m, inherited not only his collection but also his interest for art. During George's reign (and already a few years earlier) thousands of old master drawings were purchased and the existing albums were rebound and reorganised. Towards the end of George's reign all the drawings were listed in two inventories, now known as Inventories A and B. Drawings for the Royal Collection could be acquired by buying other collections en bloc; two of the most famous were those of Joseph Smith, British consul in Venice, and of cardinal Alessandro Albani in Rome. Many miscellaneous purchases were also made in Italy, England, and (as will become clear) Holland. Although the emphasis was on Italian works, hundreds of Dutch and Flemish drawings were acquired as well, including large groups by 245 .
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