Melchior de Hondecoeter

The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, inv. no. 1863 (stamped with the Hermitage symbol on the stretcher);
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, December 16, 1999, lot 43, where acquired by the present owner. 

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 painting has been recently restored and should be hung as is. The canvas has been lined and cleaned. Retouches have been added around the edges to address some frame abrasion. The remainder of the picture appears to be conspicuously unretouched. The thin grey tones in the background have most likely softened slightly revealing more of the brown ground color. Overall however, this picture is in lovely state and if the frame were to be restored, it could 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 farmyard scene would have been painted in response to the huge demand that had emerged for Hondecoeter's large game or poultry pieces from the late 1660s onwards. Previously his work had lain under the influence of both his uncle, Jan Baptist Weenix, in whose studio he became an assistant, and his cousin Jan Weenix, and it was not until the late 1660s that Hondecoeter fully developed his own particular style. His formula suited the taste of rich Amsterdam collectors who sought such works as this for their country mansions. Often Hondecoeter painted them on an enormous scale; see, for example, the Park with Birds in Munich, Alte Pinakothek, which measures 3.38 by 5.24 m., originally painted for just such a house in Driemond, near Weesp.¹ The present work is notable for the strength of its composition, with all elements arranged along a dominant diagonal, beginning lower left and continuing to the upper right, which is emphasized by the movement of the pigeon which swoops in at the upper right corner and proceeds to the lower left.

Until very recently the painting was inscribed at the lower right corner with the inventory number of the Hermitage, St. Petersburg, 1863, but this has since been removed. Equally, the reverse of the stretcher was stamped with the Hermitage symbol but the canvas now has a new stretcher.

1 Inv. no. 1715; see R. an der Heiden, Die Alte Pinakothek, Munich 1998, p. 517, reproduced.