Govert Flinck

Max Kann;
Max Singewald, Leipzig;
By whom sold, Frankfurt, Rudolf Bangel, 11 October 1927, lot 41 (as signed and dated 1647);
Deiker, Kassel.

W. Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, Landau/Pfalz 1983, vol. V, p. 3100, cat. no. 2087, reproduced fig. 3220.

The actual painting is a lot softer and less red than the catalogue illustration suggests. The canvas has an old relining. The paint surface is under a dull and very discoloured varnish, and its removal would improve the tonality of the painting. Some old and rather crudely retouched paint losses are visible in the background on the right, and in his hand, and some tiny ones to the background upper left and in the sitter's' chin (which are all also clearly visible in the catalogue illustration). Otherwise, the paint surface is well preserved. Inspection under UV light remains inconclusive due to the varnish. Overall, this painting is in good condition. Offered in a decorative gilt plaster and wood frame in good condition.
"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."

The sitter can be identified by comparison with his portrait by Frans Hals, dated 1644, and now in Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, which is charged with the coat-of-arms of the Coymans family.¹ Born in Hamburg, Joseph Coymans belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Amsterdam in the 17th Century, who were active as merchants and bankers. His brothers Joan and Balthazar commissioned Jacob van Campen to build them a stately double house on the Keizersgracht 1677, Van Campen's first commission.

On 22 November 1616 Coymans married Dorothea Berck of Alblasserdam in Dordrecht. Flinck's signed portrait of her, the pendant to the present lot, was last recorded in 1977² (fig. 1). Dorothea's father served as an ambassador to England, Denmark and the Venetian Republic. She is recorded as a widow in a document dated 1677. The couple had a daughter, Isabella, who married in 1644.

Given the fact that the portrait by Frans Hals, which also has a pendant of Dorothea, is dated 1644, it is generally believed that the present portrait and its pendant can be dated towards the end of the 1640s. At that time Flinck had become a fully established painter of portraits, religious, historical and genre scenes in Amsterdam.

1. See S. Slive, Frans Hals, London 1974, vol. 3, pp. 84-3, cat. no. 160.
2. The portrait by Flinck of Dorothea, formerly with D. Cevat, was sold, Christie's, London, 25 March 1977, lot 12.