A procession outside the walls of an ancient city

Jacob Van Ulft was a prolific draftsman and painter specialized in landscapes, architectural and topographical views. Together with numerous drawings in ink and wash, the artist also produced several small gouaches on vellum, like the present one. In these compositions he often depicted imaginary landscapes with majestic classical architectures inspired by the antique monuments of Rome, although it is uncertain if he ever traveled to Italy. It is possible that the scene represented here was inspired by an episode of ancient history, but the precise subject remains unclear. Another gouache with a similar historic scene and almost identical in size is known (Sotheby’s, New York, 12 January 1990, lot 39). A variant of the present composition, painted in oil on panel, was on the art market (Dorotheum, Vienna, 21 October 2014, lot 241).