Jupiter appearing to Callisto in the guise of Diana

Details

Jacob Adriaensz. Backer (Harlingen 1608-1651 Amsterdam)
Jupiter appearing to Callisto in the guise of Diana
with inscription 'Jacob Adriaensz Backer' (verso)
black chalk, fragmentary armorial watermark
5 7/8 x 8¼ in. (14.9 x 21 cm.)

Provenance

Freiherr von Elking; J.M. Heberle, Cologne, 3 June 1902, lot number presently untraced.

Literature

K. Bauch, Jakob Adriaensz. Backer: ein Rembrandtschüler aus Friesland, Berlin 1926, no. Z 9 (as Backer, 'Diana and Endymion').
W. Sumowski, Drawings of the Rembrandt School, New York, 1979, I, no. 72x (as Backer).

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

Benjamin Peronnet

bperonnet@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2272

Lot Essay

According to Sumowski (op. cit.), this is a late work dating from around 1650, probaby executed as a preparatory study for a painting, although no related picture is known. He compared it stylistically to two portrait studies by Backer from the same period: The Regents of the Nieuwezijds-Huiszittenhuis in Amsterdam and Sketch for a group portrait (Sumowski, op. cit., respectively nos. 8 and 71x).

We are grateful to Peter van den Brink, who has confirmed the attribution to Backer.

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