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拍品專文
Reichard & Co probably sold the present lot directly to Joseph Jefferson, who was a renowned actor and collector of Dutch paintings in his time.
B.J. Blommers visited the actor in 1904 at his country-seat in Baelard Bay near Boston and said in a letter to the art critic Mrs. G.H. Marius: "Hij bezit de mooiste schilderijen van Mauve die ik ooit gezien heb [...], ook een prachtige Israels." (Charles Dumas, De Haagse School verzameld, exh. cat., The Hague 1983, pp. 128).
In a letter to Israels dated Buzzard's Ray Massachussetts, 4 July 1902, Jefferson writes: "I have in my library one of your greatest works. A mother bathing her baby at the fireside [...]. When I purchased the painting there was a glass before it so that some of the details could not be seen. I called the picture "The Madonna of the Cottage". When I removed the glass, I discovered in the left hand corner at the top, an old print of the Madonna. So you see, I guessed some poetic meaning by intuition."
The above described feature is clearly evident from the Parke Bernett sale catalogue. This had obviously been obscured by a later restoration. Israels repeatedly painted the subject around 1887.
The artist however refused to paint exact copies of the same composition and always varied the details.
A preliminary oil-sketch of Mother and child was at least untill 1924 in the posession of his son Isaac Israels. A watercolour of the similar subject belonged to the collection of J. Staats Forbes, London.
Another small version in oils reveals the same subject with alteration of several details (sold in these rooms, 24 April 1991, lot 207).
Christie's is grateful and indebted to Dieuwertje Dekkers for her help in preparing this catalogue entry.
B.J. Blommers visited the actor in 1904 at his country-seat in Baelard Bay near Boston and said in a letter to the art critic Mrs. G.H. Marius: "Hij bezit de mooiste schilderijen van Mauve die ik ooit gezien heb [...], ook een prachtige Israels." (Charles Dumas, De Haagse School verzameld, exh. cat., The Hague 1983, pp. 128).
In a letter to Israels dated Buzzard's Ray Massachussetts, 4 July 1902, Jefferson writes: "I have in my library one of your greatest works. A mother bathing her baby at the fireside [...]. When I purchased the painting there was a glass before it so that some of the details could not be seen. I called the picture "The Madonna of the Cottage". When I removed the glass, I discovered in the left hand corner at the top, an old print of the Madonna. So you see, I guessed some poetic meaning by intuition."
The above described feature is clearly evident from the Parke Bernett sale catalogue. This had obviously been obscured by a later restoration. Israels repeatedly painted the subject around 1887.
The artist however refused to paint exact copies of the same composition and always varied the details.
A preliminary oil-sketch of Mother and child was at least untill 1924 in the posession of his son Isaac Israels. A watercolour of the similar subject belonged to the collection of J. Staats Forbes, London.
Another small version in oils reveals the same subject with alteration of several details (sold in these rooms, 24 April 1991, lot 207).
Christie's is grateful and indebted to Dieuwertje Dekkers for her help in preparing this catalogue entry.