Anthonie van Borssum

Graf Sierstorpff, Schloss Driburg;
His sale, Berlin, Lepke, 19 April 1887, lot 7, as by Aert van der Neer;
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Fk. Muller, 16 December 1919, lot 71 (as by Aert van der Neer);
A.W.M. Mensing;
His sale, Amsterdam, Fk. Muller, 15 November 1938, lot 73 (as by Aert van der Neer);
Anonymous sale ("Property of a Private Collector"), London, Sotheby's, 3 July 1996, lot 36 (as Anthonie van Borssum);
Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 18 October 2000, lot 44 (as Anthonie van Borssom);
There purchased by the present collector.

Madrid, May 1921, no.  27;
The Hague, Het landschap door Hollanders gezien, 16e-20e eeuw, 1922 (as Aert van der Neer).

C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the 17th Century, 1923, vol. VII, p. 414, no. 382 (as by Aert van der Neer).

Panel has been cradled. under an uneven varnish. the paint surface has generally been well preserved and there is good retention of the detail and only a slight degree of thinness in some of the darker areas. a horizontal crack can be seen at bottom right (about 8 in. long); there is a small scratch/gouge in sky at center and some other minor scratches in same area. some scuffing at extreme edges from rubbing of frame. examination under UV reveals retouching scattered in foliage and some reinforcements of the darks in houses at left; some retouching scattered in sky and, to a lesser extent in water. retouching around edges.
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.

Though the present lot had long been published by Aert van der Neer, when last sold in 2000, both Professor Werner Sumowski and Dr. Wolfgang Schulz confirmed the attribution to van Borssum based on photographs.  Van Borssum's style was greatly influenced by the work of van der Neer and by those of van der Neer's friend, Rafael Govertsz. Camphuysen.  Van Borssum completed a number of signed works of similar composition, most notable of which is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. A 744). Because only five of the artist's paintings are dated, scholars have had difficulty in tracing his stylistic development.  However, his moonlit landscapes painted in the manner of van der Neer have been identified as some of his most successful works. The signature and date, and the vegetation upon which they are to be found, have shown to be a later addition; their removal might reveal van Borssum's signature.