Lot Essay
Jan Arends, draughtsman and printmaker, was born in Dordrecht in 1738. He is mainly known for the many topographical views he executed on the Island of Walcheren when he lived in Middelburg, capital of the province of Zeeland. He worked here from about 1770 to 1785, possibly until 1787, and examples of his work are kept in the Rijksarchief Zeeland. In this period Arends made views not only of Middelburg, Flushing and Westkapelle, but also many presumably commissioned views of country seats and houses. The earliest dated views from this period are of 1771. Of some houses and their gardens he produced more than ten views, such as the series dated 1772 of Poppenroede Ambacht near Middelburg (I.H. Vogel-Wessels Boer, Hetzelve anders, Poppenroede Ambacht, Zeeland, II, 4, 1993, pp. 154-8). More than one version was executed of some of these series, some only in brown or grey wash, some in watercolour. A view from a series in grey wash of Poppenroede Ambacht by Arends, also dated 1772, was sold in these Rooms, 15 November 1993, lot 148. It has been suggested that when Arends published an engraved view of the house Sint Jan ten Heere in 1780, he announced that he would be publishing a series of printed views of Walcheren. It seems that such a series was never published, probably because of lack of financial backing. In 1785-7 Arends returned to Dordrecht, where he died in poverty in 1805.
Among the most important country seats on Walcheren was the Huis, also called the Hof te Oostkapelle. It was acquired in 1679 for 10,500 livres by Willem le Sage (1646-1721), who extended the grounds by an exchange with the local parochial board, causing these to border upon the church, as is seen in the present series. After the death of le Sage's widow in 1727, the house was bought by Joan Gualtherus van der Poort (1713-1784). On 28 November 1748 the Antwerp architect Jan Pieter Baurscheit (1699-1768) sent his plans for 'het nieuw te maecken Huys van Mijn Heer van der Poort' through the Middelburg architect J. de Munck to van der Poort and his wife. Surviving invoices shows that the house and its gardens were rebuilt and altered in 1749-56. This was luxuriously decorated and furnished, while the gardens were designed and extended according to the latest fashion. The date '1750' visible on the rear facade presumely establishes the date of completion of the structure of the building.
By 1772, when the present series was executed, the Huis te Oostkapelle and its gardens were ranked among the most important of Zeeland. The series includes three pairs of views taken from opposite, or roughly opposite, viewpoints: the view from the village towards the entrance with the house beyond and that from the 'Plein' in front of the house towards the entrance; the view of the front of the house and that to the great avenue ('groote Dreef') from the front of the house; and the view of the back of the house and that towards the 'groot Terras' seen from this point. The three remaining views show the large and the new pools ('groot Bassein' and 'nieuw Bassein') and the Chinese temple in the garden: the vista from the new pool ends at the great avenue. The first view was engraved by Arends in 1777.
The present set gives a very complete impression of one of the most important country seats on Walcheren, and is also a rare document of formal garden architecture in Holland in the mid-18th Century.
In the catalogue of the works of art in the house drawn up after the death of Johanna Susanna van der Poort in 1793, the present series is listed as being worth the not inconsiderable sum of fifty guilders. The fact that a good impression of Rembrandt's etching Ecce Homo (Bartsch 76) was listed at thirty guilders in the same catalogue gives an idea of how the series was appreciated at the time.
From 1794 onwards, French militairy servicemen and horses were quartered in the house, and in 1805 general Monnet moved in. After having protested strongly against this use of the house, Johan Steengracht van Oostkapelle, by now living elsewhere in Holland, saw no other solution than to sell the house on 23 December 1805 for 56,000 guilders to be demolished, which happened shortly after. Nothing now remains of the Huis te Oostkapelle.
M. van den Broeke and Jonkheer H. van der Wyck will include the present series in their forthcoming publication on the artist, while the former will include detailed information on the Huis te Oostkapelle in his forthcoming publication Walcherse buitenplaatsen, Lusthoven in de Tuin van Zeeland.
Among the most important country seats on Walcheren was the Huis, also called the Hof te Oostkapelle. It was acquired in 1679 for 10,500 livres by Willem le Sage (1646-1721), who extended the grounds by an exchange with the local parochial board, causing these to border upon the church, as is seen in the present series. After the death of le Sage's widow in 1727, the house was bought by Joan Gualtherus van der Poort (1713-1784). On 28 November 1748 the Antwerp architect Jan Pieter Baurscheit (1699-1768) sent his plans for 'het nieuw te maecken Huys van Mijn Heer van der Poort' through the Middelburg architect J. de Munck to van der Poort and his wife. Surviving invoices shows that the house and its gardens were rebuilt and altered in 1749-56. This was luxuriously decorated and furnished, while the gardens were designed and extended according to the latest fashion. The date '1750' visible on the rear facade presumely establishes the date of completion of the structure of the building.
By 1772, when the present series was executed, the Huis te Oostkapelle and its gardens were ranked among the most important of Zeeland. The series includes three pairs of views taken from opposite, or roughly opposite, viewpoints: the view from the village towards the entrance with the house beyond and that from the 'Plein' in front of the house towards the entrance; the view of the front of the house and that to the great avenue ('groote Dreef') from the front of the house; and the view of the back of the house and that towards the 'groot Terras' seen from this point. The three remaining views show the large and the new pools ('groot Bassein' and 'nieuw Bassein') and the Chinese temple in the garden: the vista from the new pool ends at the great avenue. The first view was engraved by Arends in 1777.
The present set gives a very complete impression of one of the most important country seats on Walcheren, and is also a rare document of formal garden architecture in Holland in the mid-18th Century.
In the catalogue of the works of art in the house drawn up after the death of Johanna Susanna van der Poort in 1793, the present series is listed as being worth the not inconsiderable sum of fifty guilders. The fact that a good impression of Rembrandt's etching Ecce Homo (Bartsch 76) was listed at thirty guilders in the same catalogue gives an idea of how the series was appreciated at the time.
From 1794 onwards, French militairy servicemen and horses were quartered in the house, and in 1805 general Monnet moved in. After having protested strongly against this use of the house, Johan Steengracht van Oostkapelle, by now living elsewhere in Holland, saw no other solution than to sell the house on 23 December 1805 for 56,000 guilders to be demolished, which happened shortly after. Nothing now remains of the Huis te Oostkapelle.
M. van den Broeke and Jonkheer H. van der Wyck will include the present series in their forthcoming publication on the artist, while the former will include detailed information on the Huis te Oostkapelle in his forthcoming publication Walcherse buitenplaatsen, Lusthoven in de Tuin van Zeeland.