An estuary with fisherman and shipping and a church to the left

Details

JAN VAN GOYEN (LEIDEN 1596-1656 THE HAGUE)
An estuary with fisherman and shipping and a church to the left
signed and indistinctly dated 'VGOYEN 1...38' ('VG' linked, lower left, on the rowing boat)
oil on panel
15 3⁄8 x 23 3⁄8 in. (39.1 x 59.3 cm.)

Provenance

with Thomas Agnew & Sons.
Alfred Beit (1853-1906), by 1904, and by inheritance to his brother,
Sir Otto Beit, 1st Bt. (1865-1930), by 1913, and by descent through his daughter,
Mrs. Arthur Bull (1899-1982), Brynderwen Court, Monmouth, to the present owner.

Literature

W. von Bode, The Art Collection of Mr. Alfred Beit at his Residence 26 Park Lane, London, Berlin, 1904, p. 52, with incorrect dimensions and support.
W. von Bode, Catalogue of the collection of the Pictures and Bronzes in the Possession of Mr. Otto Beit, London, 1913, p. 75, no. 20.
C. Hofstede de Groot, A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch painters of the seventeenth century, London, 1927, VIII, p. 143, no. 565, with incorrect dimensions and support.
H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596-1656, Ein Œuvreverzeichnis, Amsterdam, 1973, II, p. 523, no. 1208c.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Lucy Speelman Junior Specialist, Head of Day Sale

lspeelman@christies.com +44 207 752 3074

Lot Essay

Jan van Goyen began to depict estuary scenes and canals in the second half of the 1620s, around the time he abandoned the style of his master, Esaias van de Velde, in favour of a more tonal approach with an almost monochrome palette that had gained currency in the period. Van Goyen relished the depiction of the broad, open landscape of Holland, which is dominated by water and sky. Like many of these works, the present composition employs a low horizon line and a deep recession into depth, which is defined through carefully chosen areas of light and dark.

For a note on the provenance, see lot 126.

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