拍品專文
Constantijn Huygens' grandfather Christiaan (1551-1624) was secretary of William the Silent, while his father, Constantijn Huygens senior (1596-1687), was secretary of several members of the Orange family: Frederik Hendrik, Willem II and Willem III. Their posts required the family to live in The Hague, near the Court, where Constantijn senior owned a number of houses and manors. In 1634 Frederik Hendrik gave Constantijn senior 'De Erve tegens het Akerland', where in 1634-7 the later famous 'Huygenshuis' was built, designed by Jacob van Campen and Pieter Post, which was demolished in 1876. Situated very near to the Mauritshuis, this is where Constantijn's children Constantijn junior, Christiaan, Susanna, Philips and Lodewijk grew up. In 1639 Constantijn senior also bought a plot of land near Voorburg, just outside The Hague, where, following his own designs, a small countryhouse called 'Hofwijck' was built by Pieter Post.
As may be deduced from his drawings, Constantijn junior was very interested in topography, and is known to have drawn several views in and near The Hague between 1658 and 1666 (Heijbroek a.o., op.cit., nos. 2-5). Of these the view of The Hague from the dunes dated 4 June 1661 may, although different in technique and dated 5 years earlier, be compared to the present lot (J.F. Heijbroek (ed.), De verzameling van Mr. Carel Vosmaer (1826-1888), The Hague/Amsterdam, 1989, pp. 83-4, no. 40, illustrated), while another view, dated 5 September 1659 shows a similar view of the city (Heijbroek a.o., op.cit., 1982, p. 27).
Huygens' friend Jan de Bisschop (1628-1671) came to live in The Hague in 1652, and, although not a professional artist, he established a drawing academy in the city shortly after 1660, of which Constantijn junior was presumably also a member. As noted by Heijbroek (op.cit., 1982, p. 55), of all Huygens' landscape drawings the present drawing is closest in technique to that of De Bisschop, who drew a similar view of The Hague, now in the Albertina, Vienna (M. Bisanz-Prakken, op.cit., pp. 134-5, no. 73). As Marijn Schapelhouman observed (J.F. Heijbroek (ed.), op.cit., 1989, p. 89, no. 47), Huygens' sketches from his travels in the 1670s are highly attractive and important historically and topographically, but he did his best and most beautiful drawings in the 1660s
As may be deduced from his drawings, Constantijn junior was very interested in topography, and is known to have drawn several views in and near The Hague between 1658 and 1666 (Heijbroek a.o., op.cit., nos. 2-5). Of these the view of The Hague from the dunes dated 4 June 1661 may, although different in technique and dated 5 years earlier, be compared to the present lot (J.F. Heijbroek (ed.), De verzameling van Mr. Carel Vosmaer (1826-1888), The Hague/Amsterdam, 1989, pp. 83-4, no. 40, illustrated), while another view, dated 5 September 1659 shows a similar view of the city (Heijbroek a.o., op.cit., 1982, p. 27).
Huygens' friend Jan de Bisschop (1628-1671) came to live in The Hague in 1652, and, although not a professional artist, he established a drawing academy in the city shortly after 1660, of which Constantijn junior was presumably also a member. As noted by Heijbroek (op.cit., 1982, p. 55), of all Huygens' landscape drawings the present drawing is closest in technique to that of De Bisschop, who drew a similar view of The Hague, now in the Albertina, Vienna (M. Bisanz-Prakken, op.cit., pp. 134-5, no. 73). As Marijn Schapelhouman observed (J.F. Heijbroek (ed.), op.cit., 1989, p. 89, no. 47), Huygens' sketches from his travels in the 1670s are highly attractive and important historically and topographically, but he did his best and most beautiful drawings in the 1660s