Jan Josefsz. van Goyen

With Charles Sedelmeyer, Paris;
Carl von Hollitscher, Berlin, 1890-1912;
With Kurt Walter Bachstitz, The Hague;
Camillo Castiglioni, Vienna;
With D. Hermsen, The Hague;
With Karl Haberstock, Berlin;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam, until 1933;
From whom purchased by A. Mayer, The Hague;
With Van Diemen & Co., New York;
Anita M. Baldwin, Los Angeles, by 1941;
Gift of the Estate of Anita M. Baldwin to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1951 (acc. no. 51.29.2).

W. von Bode and M.J. Friedländer, Die Gemälde-Sammlung Carl von Hollitscher, 1912, cat. no. 40;
C. Hofstede de Groot, Catalogue of the Dutch Painters, London 1913, vol. VIII, p. 18, cat. no. 22 (where dated to 1645 and called "View of Arnhem Across the Rhine");
L. Ballard, "Three Panels by Jan van Goyen," in Quarterly of the Los Angeles County Museum, January 1942, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 11-15, reproduced p. 14 (where dated to 1645);
W.R. Valentiner, "Dutch Paintings: More new Acquisitions", in Bulletin of the Art Division. Los Angeles County Museum, vol. V, no. 2, Spring 1953, pp. 4 (and note 2), 5 (where dated to 1645);
P. Wescher and E. Feinblatt, Los Angeles County Museum, Catalogue of Paintings, II: A Catalogue of Flemish, German, Dutch and English Paintings, XV-XVIII Century, Los Angeles 1954, p. 40, cat. no. 42, reproduced (where dated to 1645 and called "View of Arnhem Across the Rhine");
A. Dobrzycka, Jan van Goyen, Posen 1966, cat. no. 144 
H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen, 1596-1656, vol. II, Amsterdam 1973, p. 196, cat. no. 403, reproduced (where dated to 1645);
P.C. Sutton, A Guide to Dutch Art in America, Grand Rapids 1986, pp. 132, 336;
S. Schaefer et al, European Painting and Sculpture in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 1987, p. 46, reproduced (where dated to 1649).

Panel is flat, made from one piece of wood, and cradled for support. Overall the painting is in favorable condition. The paint appears to have thinned somewhat in areas of the sky. There are small scattered retouches throughout the sky, as can often times be expected from a picture of this type, but they are not overwhelming and appear to be applied for reinforcement and not to repair any major damage. There are also a few retouches in the sail of the boat in the right foreground. This sail also appears to have an older varnish applied. The city in the distance, foreground figures, and small boat in the middle left foreground are in quite good state and do not have any retouches applied. In a carved and giltwood frame.
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.

Prior to Beck's 1973 monograph on van Goyen, the city depicted in the background of the present composition had been described incorrectly as Arnheim. The correct subject, the city of Veere, was identified by the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD) in the Hague. Van Goyen would have known Veere well, as the town lay only seventy kilometers south of The Hague, van Goyen's home. At least two other very similar views of the same village by van Goyen are known, dated 1643 (see Beck 1973, cat. no. 402) and 1650 (see Beck 1973, cat. no. 247).

The last digit of the date is somewhat unclear, having been described in past literature as both a 5 and 9. Beck lists the painting under the date 1645, which to the naked eye appears slightly more convincing than the alternative dating.