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Lot Essay
This is closely comparable in handling and technique to Van der Meulen's view of Arnhem, seen from the west along the river Rhine, in the Mobilier National, Paris, L.C. Starcky, Paris, Mobilier National, Dessins de Van der Meulen et de son Atelier, Paris, 1988, p. 83, no. 54, illustrated, drawn on four joined sheets of paper.
Before conquering Holland, the French King Louis XIV had the German city of Wesel on the Rhine occupied on 1 June 1672, Emmerich following soon (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 43 and 46). After taking Doetinchem, the army crossed the Rhine at the Tolhuys (now Lobith) on 12 June 1672 (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 50-53), and Commander Turenne occupied Arnhem on 15 June 1672. Starcky (op. cit., no. 54), points out that the view of Arnhem seen from the west is an unusual and less essentially topographical view than most of the other drawings from the Paris series. In contrast, the present drawing is much more topographical and in that similar to most of the other drawings from the series, many of which are views in Holland, including those of Doesburg, Culemborg, Wijk bij Duurstede, Amersfoort, Woerden, Zwolle, Elburg, Kampen, Harderwijk and Zutphen. The views of Vianen, Utrecht and Grave (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 61, 70 and 79) as well as the later views of Amboise, Maastricht and Mont Cassel (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 90, 92 and 126) are most closely comparable in handling and technique, especially in the treatment of the trees.
Van der Meulen's view of Mons was sold at Christie's, London, 4 July 1972, lot 167.
This view of Arnhem was drawn from a viewpoint popular among 17th Century artists, supplying a very good view of the city and its surrounding landscape reaching into Germany towards Cleves. Probably the viewpoint is the hill on which the estate Sonsbeeck stands now. Anthonie Waterloo's similar view is in the Teyler Museum, Haarlem, M.C. Plomp, The Dutch Drawings in the Teyler Museum, Haarlem Ghent Doornspijk, II, 1997, p. 448, no. 537, illustrated. It shows the church of Saint Eusebius before the octagonal construction that was added to the belfry in 1650-1 as shown in the present lot, providing a terminus ante quem for this drawing.
After Sir Joshua Reynolds's death in 1792 his executors applied the stamp (L.2364) to his most important drawings on the recto, while the rest were stamped on the verso. It has not been possible to identify the present lot in the many sales from his estate or that of his heir.
Before conquering Holland, the French King Louis XIV had the German city of Wesel on the Rhine occupied on 1 June 1672, Emmerich following soon (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 43 and 46). After taking Doetinchem, the army crossed the Rhine at the Tolhuys (now Lobith) on 12 June 1672 (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 50-53), and Commander Turenne occupied Arnhem on 15 June 1672. Starcky (op. cit., no. 54), points out that the view of Arnhem seen from the west is an unusual and less essentially topographical view than most of the other drawings from the Paris series. In contrast, the present drawing is much more topographical and in that similar to most of the other drawings from the series, many of which are views in Holland, including those of Doesburg, Culemborg, Wijk bij Duurstede, Amersfoort, Woerden, Zwolle, Elburg, Kampen, Harderwijk and Zutphen. The views of Vianen, Utrecht and Grave (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 61, 70 and 79) as well as the later views of Amboise, Maastricht and Mont Cassel (Starcky, op. cit., nos. 90, 92 and 126) are most closely comparable in handling and technique, especially in the treatment of the trees.
Van der Meulen's view of Mons was sold at Christie's, London, 4 July 1972, lot 167.
This view of Arnhem was drawn from a viewpoint popular among 17th Century artists, supplying a very good view of the city and its surrounding landscape reaching into Germany towards Cleves. Probably the viewpoint is the hill on which the estate Sonsbeeck stands now. Anthonie Waterloo's similar view is in the Teyler Museum, Haarlem, M.C. Plomp, The Dutch Drawings in the Teyler Museum, Haarlem Ghent Doornspijk, II, 1997, p. 448, no. 537, illustrated. It shows the church of Saint Eusebius before the octagonal construction that was added to the belfry in 1650-1 as shown in the present lot, providing a terminus ante quem for this drawing.
After Sir Joshua Reynolds's death in 1792 his executors applied the stamp (L.2364) to his most important drawings on the recto, while the rest were stamped on the verso. It has not been possible to identify the present lot in the many sales from his estate or that of his heir.