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Lot Essay
The present lot is a rather remarkable painting: not only is it a very rare subject within the oeuvre of De Heem, it also appears to be one of the very earliest, painted barn interiors in the history of Dutch art. Furthermore, there are no figures present, which distinguishes it from any contemporary trend or genre tradition.
Fred Meijer dates the picture to circa 1629 and states: "This early barn interior seems to have emerged without any specific precedent." Thusfar the earliest, dated barn interior is a drawing by Herman Saftleven of 1630. The genre of painted barn interiors emerged, mainly in Rotterdam, in the early 1630s, but often with a peasant couple or other figures, such as in the oeuvres of Pieter de Bloot or Herman and Cornelis Saftleven.
De Heem experimented with visual effects of space and light in an empty barn interior at least once more; one later composition, dated 1631, is known.
We are grateful to Fred Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, for confirming the attribution and his kind help in cataloguing this lot. This painting will be included in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné under no. 29.03.
Fred Meijer dates the picture to circa 1629 and states: "This early barn interior seems to have emerged without any specific precedent." Thusfar the earliest, dated barn interior is a drawing by Herman Saftleven of 1630. The genre of painted barn interiors emerged, mainly in Rotterdam, in the early 1630s, but often with a peasant couple or other figures, such as in the oeuvres of Pieter de Bloot or Herman and Cornelis Saftleven.
De Heem experimented with visual effects of space and light in an empty barn interior at least once more; one later composition, dated 1631, is known.
We are grateful to Fred Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, for confirming the attribution and his kind help in cataloguing this lot. This painting will be included in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné under no. 29.03.