Three Orientals in conversation

Little is known about Goudt's artistic formation, but it is likely that he studied with Jan van de Velde I (1568-1623) and afterwards with Jacques de Gheyn II (1565-1629), in whose studio in The Hague he worked as an apprentice. He spent an extended period in Italy between 1604 and 1611, during which time he became a close associate of Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610) and was greatly influenced by the older master's style of draughtsmanship. In particular he was inspired by the close-knit groups of figures who appeared in the foregrounds of many of Elsheimer's paintings, and he executed a large number of studies of similar figural groups, such as the 179 drawings in an album in the Städelmuseum in Frankfurt (many are reproduced in Möhle, op. cit., G1-G61).

The present drawing is similar in spirit and execution to a drawing of Four standing women with babies and two children in the P. & N. de Boer Foundation in Amsterdam (forthcoming exh. cat. Entre Goltzius et Van Gogh. Dessins & Tableaux de la Fondation P. et N. de Boer, Paris, Fondation Custodia, 2014). Goudt used similar fluid, sweeping pen outlines, although the de Boer study is slightly more highly finished than the present more spontaneous drawing. A similar study of Three standing men appeared at Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 8 November 2000, lot 18, while another is in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin (Möhle, op. cit., respectively pls. G17 and G15).