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Lot Essay
Jan van der Heyden is generally regarded as the most important founder and representative of the genre of the independent city-view in the second half of the seventeenth century. Already highly praised by Houbraken in his Groote Schouburgh of 1721, Van der Heyden has been consistently renowned for his ability perfectly to paint buildings and houses down to the mortar between the bricks. Unusually, he is famous not only for his views of Amsterdam canals but also for his inventions, notably the fire-hose and the street-lighting, and also for his cityscapes, most notably his views of the Amsterdam canals and the Cologne church-squares.
A considerable part of his oeuvre consists of views on country estates comparable to the present lot. The colour schemes in Van der Heyden's works are often rich, with deep blues and warm reds, as are to be found in the present picture, that create a distinctively warm atmosphere. Although the delicately rendered masonry and the detailed rendering of the buildings in general would suggest topographical accuracy, Van der Heyden's views are not always true to life. He would frequently combine elements of different views in order to enhance his compositions, or make small amendments as he did in the present lot where the mansion of Goudesteyn has been slightly altered.
As noted by H. Wagner (op. cit., pp. 44-6), his views of country houses were often made to glorify the country life enjoyed by the wealthy merchantmen and noblemen living in the city. For Amsterdam merchants the favorite areas were the Beemster and the river Vecht, where Maarsseveen is located. Goudesteyn (Golden Farm) was bought in 1608 by the Amsterdam merchant Jan Jacobsz. Huydecoper (1541-1624). He converted the farmhouse into a modest country place, which he left to his son Joan (1599-1661). Joan on his turn, had Goudesteyn extensively restored with the addition of a new wing - possibly using Jacob van Campen as his advisor - between 1627 and 1629, transforming Goudesteyn into the first true country estate on the Vecht.
The Huydecopers were an extremely powerful family, and Joan Huydecoper I and II both served as Burgomasters of Amsterdam between 1651 and 1693. The sophisticated estate on the Vecht served to underline the family's status and wealth and was highly praised by poets such as Barlaeus and Joost van den Vondel. Constantijn Huygens spent three days in Goudesteyn in 1656 and thanked Huydecoper for his hospitality in three flattering short poems, published in 1658 in Korenbloemen, pp.768-9.
When Van der Heyden painted the present lot, in 1666, Goudesteyn was owned by Joan Huydecoper II (1625-1704). As pointed out by L. de Vries, (Jan van der Heyden, 1984, p. 36), Van der Heyden painted no less than six view of Goudesteyn between 1666 and 1674, not all of them topographically accurate.
A considerable part of his oeuvre consists of views on country estates comparable to the present lot. The colour schemes in Van der Heyden's works are often rich, with deep blues and warm reds, as are to be found in the present picture, that create a distinctively warm atmosphere. Although the delicately rendered masonry and the detailed rendering of the buildings in general would suggest topographical accuracy, Van der Heyden's views are not always true to life. He would frequently combine elements of different views in order to enhance his compositions, or make small amendments as he did in the present lot where the mansion of Goudesteyn has been slightly altered.
As noted by H. Wagner (op. cit., pp. 44-6), his views of country houses were often made to glorify the country life enjoyed by the wealthy merchantmen and noblemen living in the city. For Amsterdam merchants the favorite areas were the Beemster and the river Vecht, where Maarsseveen is located. Goudesteyn (Golden Farm) was bought in 1608 by the Amsterdam merchant Jan Jacobsz. Huydecoper (1541-1624). He converted the farmhouse into a modest country place, which he left to his son Joan (1599-1661). Joan on his turn, had Goudesteyn extensively restored with the addition of a new wing - possibly using Jacob van Campen as his advisor - between 1627 and 1629, transforming Goudesteyn into the first true country estate on the Vecht.
The Huydecopers were an extremely powerful family, and Joan Huydecoper I and II both served as Burgomasters of Amsterdam between 1651 and 1693. The sophisticated estate on the Vecht served to underline the family's status and wealth and was highly praised by poets such as Barlaeus and Joost van den Vondel. Constantijn Huygens spent three days in Goudesteyn in 1656 and thanked Huydecoper for his hospitality in three flattering short poems, published in 1658 in Korenbloemen, pp.768-9.
When Van der Heyden painted the present lot, in 1666, Goudesteyn was owned by Joan Huydecoper II (1625-1704). As pointed out by L. de Vries, (Jan van der Heyden, 1984, p. 36), Van der Heyden painted no less than six view of Goudesteyn between 1666 and 1674, not all of them topographically accurate.