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HAARLEM LANDSCAPE PAINTING IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY When in 1612 three young artists - Hercules Seghers (1590-1638), Willem Buytewech (1591-1624) and Esaias van de Velde (1587-1630) - entered the Haarlem guild of Saint Luke, this marked the beginning of a new era in Dutch seventeenth Century landscape painting and of Haarlem's role in it. Trained in the tradition of mannerist landscape painting as practised by Flemish immigrants such as Gillis van Coninxloo (1544-1607) and David Vinckeboons (1576-1629), they now found their inspiration in the diverse landscape surroundings of Haarlem, thus creating an entirely new style, usually defined as Dutch realism. They introduced a new spatial sense, openness and naturalness, based on direct study of landscape. The leading master of this movement was Esaias van de Velde (1587-1630) (who in 1618 moved to The Hague), soon followed by Pieter de Molyn (1595-1661) and Salomon van Ruysdael (1600-1670). Subjects now included dunes, country roads, river and canal scenes. Towards the end of the 1620's colour tended to become monochrome, emphasizing the atmospheric, tonal quality of the landscape, particularly river scenes. Protagonists were Salomon van Ruysdael and Jan van Goyen, a former pupil of Esaias van de Velde and active subsequently in Leiden and The Hague (1596-1656). Among the many followers of Van Goyen were Wouter Knyff (circa 1607-after 1694) (see lot 63) and Frans de Hulst (circa 1610-1661) (see lot 64). This change in the first decades of the seventeenth Century coincided with other new developments. Circa 1640 Pieter van Laer (circa 1582-circa 1642) after his stay in Italy introduced Italianate features in the Haarlem school. The pre-eminent representative of this style was the prolific and versatile Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), son of the Haarlem still-life painter Pieter Claesz. (1590-1661). A later painter of landscapes in the Italianate manner, furnished with sheep and cattle, was Berchem's pupil Willem Romeyn (1624-1694) (see lot 17). A singular position was held by Cornelis Vroom (1591-1661), the son of the Haarlem marine painter Hendrick Vroom (1566-1640) and himself originally also a distinguished marine artist. His earliest landscapes show the influence of Esaias van de Velde. He did not participate however in the tonal phase of Haarlem landscape painting in the 1630's. His wooded river views of the 1640's strongly influenced fellow Haarlem artists like Guilliam du Bois (1620-1680), Jacob Isaacsz. van Ruisdael (1628/9-1682) and Jan Lagoor (circa 1625-after 1660). The present sale includes a splendid example by the latter, showing the charateristics of this rare and underestimated artist at its best (lot 110). Most celebrated of Haarlem landscape painters and one of the greatest and most influential of all seventeenth Century Dutch landscapists was Jacob Isaacsz. van Ruisdael. He was born in Haarlem in 1628/9 and, though starting his career as an independent artist a few years earlier, he did not become a full member of the local guild until 1648. Although he moved to Amsterdam as early as 1656, the impact of his style and choice of subjects on Haarlem landscape painters was immense. He was the most versatile of all Dutch landscape painters of his time, his oeuvre including views, both in summer and in winter, of the surroundings of Haarlem, as well as beach scenes and marines. Among his most famous works are his numerous representations of mountainous forest landscapes with waterfalls. This motif was introduced into Haarlem landscape painting by fellow-townsman Allert van Everdingen (1621-1675), who in the early 1640's had travelled to Scandinavia. The present sale offers some characteristic works by some of Ruisdael's numerous followers. These include an excellent fully signed Dune Landscape by Roelof van Vries (circa 1631-1681) (lot 109), Travellers at a Blacksmith's attributed to Klaes Molenaer (1630-1676) (lot 112), and a signed and dated Canal Scene by Thomas Heeremans (1640-1697) (lot 108). The circle of Haarlem painters of equestrian scenes - a genre which combined landscape and animal painting, the most outstanding protagonist of which was Philips Wouwerman (1619-1668) (lot 117) - is represented in this sale by an interesting early signed work by Barent Gael (1620-1703) (lot 116). Willem van de Watering

Thomas Heeremans (1640-1697)

An inn by a river with moored sailing vessels and a washerwoman on a jetty

Details

Thomas Heeremans (1640-1697)
An inn by a river with moored sailing vessels and a washerwoman on a jetty
signed and dated THMANS.16.6 (TH linked) on a wooden fence lower right
oil on canvas
41.1 x 53.5 cm

Special notice

Christie's charge a buyer's premium of 20% (VAT inclusive) for this lot.

Lot Essay

The artist is a late representative of the Haarlem School. His oeuvre consists of river landscapes, normally with a diagonally receding river bank, a motif invented by Jan van Goyen and Salomon van Ruysdael, with rich staffage. The washerwoman in the present lot also occurs in the picture, signed and dated 1687, offered at Dorotheum Vienna, 4 March 1997, lot 61.

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