Jan Frans van Bloemen, called l'Orizzonte

Mauerbach Depository, Austria, from where transferred to the Federation of Austrian Jewish Communities;
By whom sold, Vienna, Mak-Österreichisches Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Christie's, 29 October 1996, lot 134, where purchased by the present collector.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This canvas is lined and the paint layer is stable. The lining is old and the texture to the paint layer is still quite lively. A few dots of restoration have been added and are visible under ultraviolet light in the lower left, across the top edge in the sky, running down the right edge near the frame and in a few random spots in the lower sky. However, in the picture proper the condition is very good and unabraded. We recommend that the painting be hung as is.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This is one of two versions of the same view depicting the great cascades of Marmore at Terni, the other of which was formerly with the Galleria Antiquaria Sestieri, Rome, circa 1973.¹ Busiri Vici (see literature) considered the foreground figures in the Rome version to be by Placido Costanzi (1690-1759) but all those in the present work appear to be purely by the hand of Orrizonte himself.  


A note on the provenance: In 1985 a law was passed in Austria by the then Chancellor, Dr. Sinowatz, to reopen the claims process for works of art gathered at the Austrian collecting points after 1945 whose ownership was still unresolved. While many claims were filed and processed over the following years, many paintings also remained unclaimed and these were taken to Mauerbach, a 14th-century monastery north of Vienna, for storage. In July 1995 an agreement was reached between the Federal Finance Ministry and the Federation of Austrian Jewish Communities, and a law was passed by the Austrian Parliament which transferred ownership to the Federation. These items were sold in 1996 and the proceeds put to the benefit of both Jewish and non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

1 See A. Busiri Vici, Jan Frans Van Bloemen, Orizzonte, e l'origine del paesaggio romano settecentesco, Rome 1973, cat. no. 261.