Lot Essay
Dr. J.W. Niemeijer has kindly confirmed the attribution pointing out that Pronk made several garden views comparable in style and technique, such as The Garden Pavillion at Bosch en Hoven near Haarlem in the Institut Neéerlandais, Paris, and a drawing of the gardens of De Meermin at Haarlem, now in the Museum van Gijn, Dordrecht. Four comparable, and also unsigned, views of the gardens at the countryhouse Spieringshoek in a Dutch private collection were exhibited in Nederlandse Buitenplaatsen bedreigd, Prinsenhof, Delft, 1972, fig. 51.
Dr. Niemeijer tentatively suggests that the 'W' on the present drawings may be connected to one of the owners of Zorgvliet, King Willem II of Orange.
Jonkheer Dr. Henry van der Wyck has kindly pointed out that these drawings are views of the gardens at Zorgvliet. The architect Pieter Post built Zorgvliet in the dunes near The Hague for the statesman, Jacob Cats in 1651-2. In 1875 the house was sold to the Bentinck family, who acquired a lot of land to enlarge the gardens. Pronk is known to have drawn views at Zorgvliet around 1740, several of which, also unsigned are in the Municipal Archives, The Hague. Some of these were engraved. The gardens were probably the earliest in this style known in Holland, and they were often depicted in works of art. In 1837, Zorgvliet was acquired by Crown Prince and later King Willem II of Orange, who comissioned the English architect Henry Ashton to design an impressive addition to the house and gardens, which was however, never built. In 1902 Zorgvliet was sold to the Maatschappij Zorgvliet founded by the Goekoop family, and in 1964 the house and remaining grounds were bought by the Dutch State.
We are grateful to Peter Wander of the Municipal Archive, The Hague, for his help in cataloguing this lot
Dr. Niemeijer tentatively suggests that the 'W' on the present drawings may be connected to one of the owners of Zorgvliet, King Willem II of Orange.
Jonkheer Dr. Henry van der Wyck has kindly pointed out that these drawings are views of the gardens at Zorgvliet. The architect Pieter Post built Zorgvliet in the dunes near The Hague for the statesman, Jacob Cats in 1651-2. In 1875 the house was sold to the Bentinck family, who acquired a lot of land to enlarge the gardens. Pronk is known to have drawn views at Zorgvliet around 1740, several of which, also unsigned are in the Municipal Archives, The Hague. Some of these were engraved. The gardens were probably the earliest in this style known in Holland, and they were often depicted in works of art. In 1837, Zorgvliet was acquired by Crown Prince and later King Willem II of Orange, who comissioned the English architect Henry Ashton to design an impressive addition to the house and gardens, which was however, never built. In 1902 Zorgvliet was sold to the Maatschappij Zorgvliet founded by the Goekoop family, and in 1964 the house and remaining grounds were bought by the Dutch State.
We are grateful to Peter Wander of the Municipal Archive, The Hague, for his help in cataloguing this lot