Jan van Noordt

Probably commissioned directly from the artist by Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen (1625-1704);
Possibly thence by descent to Jan Elias Huydecoper (1669-1744);
Possibly thence by descent to Jan Elias Huydecoper (1798-1865), Slot Zeist, Zeist;
Probably thence by descent to Jan Louis Reinier Anthony Huydecoper (1822-1886), Slot Wulperhorst, Zeist;
Jhr. H.M. Huydecoper, Slot Wulperhorst, Zeist;
Thence by descent to Susanne Civile Sophie Huydecoper (1862-1951), married to Mr. Jean Chrétien Baron Baud (1853-1918);
Thence by descent to Mr. Jean Chrétien Baron Baud (1893-1976);
Thence by descent to the present owner.

Amsterdam, Maatschappij Arti et Amicitiae, Tentoonstelling van kinderportretten, 1910;
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Drie Eeuwen Portret in Nederland 1500-1800, 29 June - 5 October 1952, no. 119.

C. Hofstede de Groot, 'Joan van Noordt', Oud Holland, 10, 1892, p. 216, no. 15;
Tentoonstelling van kinderportretten, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam 1910, p. 8, no. 28;
J. Decoen, 'Jean van Noordt', Cahiers de Belgique, 4, 1931, p. 18;
A. Staring, 'Weinig bekende portrettisten III: Joannes van Noordt', Oud Holland, 61, 1946, pp. 75, 77, reproduced [republished in A.A.M. Stols, Kunsthistorische Verkenningen, The Hague 1948, p. 49, reproduced plate 20];
J. Bruyn and J.L. Cleveringa, Drie Eeuwen Portret in Nederland 1500-1800, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam 1952, pp. 57-8, cat. no. 119;
A. von Wurzbach, Niederländisches Künstler-Lexicon, Amsterdam 1968, Vol. II, p. 243;
A. Pigler, 'Gruppenbildnisse mit historische verkleideten Figuren und ein Hauptwerk des Joannes van Noordt', Acta Historiae Artium, II, Fasciculi 3/4, pp. 169-86, reproduced pp. 165-6, fig. 14;
W. Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, Pfalz/Landau 1983, Vol. I, p. 142, nt. 49, and Vol. VI, p. 3737, under cat. no. 2405;
H. Buijs, Tableaux flamands et hollandais du Musée des Beaux-Art de Lyon, exhibition catalogue, Lyon/Paris 1991, p. 110, no. 4;
D.A. de Witt, Jan van Noordt. Painter of History and Portraits in Amsterdam, Montreal 2007, pp. 200-2, cat. no. 59, reproduced p. 200.

The actual painting is a bit less harsh in tone, but furthermore the catalogue illustration is representative. The canvas has an effective relining (wax). The paint surface seems to be in very good condition, with no major damages apparent. The impasto of the brushwork in the clothing is excellent preserved. The paint surface is under a fine layer of dirt and discoloured varnish. Thinness can be observed in the left background. A few scattered retouchings can be seen in the sky, in the stone column, and in the hand of the girl to the left. Minor strengthening can be observed in the stone column as well. Inspection under Ultra Violet light confirms the above and shows additional areas of retouchings along all edges, a few scattered ones in the figures, e.g. next to the head of the girl in centre and in her dress, as well as tiny ones in the boy's face. A larger area of retouching can be seen along the right edge, in the centre. Minor strengthening is revealed in the hair of the girl to the left as well. Offered in a plain wood frame, with gilt fillet, in good condition. (MW/ML)
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Hidden in a private collection for over 200 years, this vibrant and charismatic portrait is one of the very few group portraits by Jan van Noordt known to us today. It was painted around the 1670s¹, by which date Van Noordt had earned himself a substantial reputation as a portraitist with the Amsterdam ruling classes. Amongst his most prestigious commissions was that of Jan Jacobsz. Hinlopen (1582-1629), who had married into the most prominent family of Amsterdam at that time. His wife Leonora Huydecoper (1631-1663) was the daughter of Johan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen (1599-1661). The latter held the office of Burgomaster six times, as well as many other high positions, but above all, was a true Maecenas of the arts. It is for certain that Jan Jacobsz. and Leonora had their portraits, and that of their son, painted by Jan van Noordt, as is specifically mentioned in their will, which was drawn up in 1663.² Although the children in the present work could not have been those of Jan Jacobsz. and Leonora because both their son and youngest daughter had tragically died at an early age, it is highly likely that they are indeed Huydecoper children. Leonora's brother, Joan Huydecoper Junior, had six children of his own, of whom the younger three might be the sitters for the present portrait, and, like his father before him had become a connoisseur of fine arts. He had moved to Amsterdam in 1658, where he resided on the Lauriergracht in the Jordaan.

In this portrait, the children are gathered in the garden of a country estate, which could very well be the Huydecoper family's summer retreat on the Vecht near Maarssen, Goudestein. Though simplified in appearance, the house here bears a resemblance to Goudestein as it was depicted in 1674 by Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712), in the Wellington Museum, Apsley House, London (inv. no. 1501-1948).³ The Huydecoper family inhabited Goudestein permanently, until in 1830, Jan Elias Huydecoper (1798-1865) bought the grand Slot Zeist. Jan Elias' eldest son remained at Goudestein, while his second son Jan Louis Reinier Anthony Huydecoper (1822-1886), both direct descendants of Joan Huydecoper, resided at Slot Wulperhorst in Zeist, where the present work is known to have hung.
And although it is not documented who the actual sitters are, the fact that they were Huydecoper children appears to be unquestionable.

The portrait also reflects an activity typical for upper middle class in the Netherlands in the 17^th Century, namely falconry. The boy holding a hunting falcon is stylistically close to Van Noordt's earlier representations of young falconers, such as the one in the Wallace Collection, London (inv. no. P20) (fig. 1).⁴ The pose of the seated girl closely resembles that in a drawing by Van Noordt in the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (inv. no. J.O.1), which may have been a preliminary study for this portrait.⁵

1. See De Witt under Literature, p. 202.
2. op. cit., p. 43, p. 283, cat. nos. L43 and L44, 'de Counterfeijtsels vande Testateuren, oock t Counterfeijtsel van haer Soon selfs geschildert door J. van Oort' (the portraits of the testamentees, also the portrait of their son, pained by J. van Noordt himself).
3. See P.C. Sutton, a.o., Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712), New Haven/London 2006, p. 53, fig. 49.
4. See also another Portrait of a Boy with a Falcon, also in the Wallace collection, London (inv. no.P96). See De Witt, op. cit., pp. 192-6, cat. nos. 55 and 56.
5. op. cit., p. 303, cat. no. D12.