Gérard de Lairesse

Painted for Reinier de Stephani, Liège, (according to Abry, see Literature 1715);
H. Braun;
Acquired from the above before 1805 by Prince Alois I of Liechtenstein (1796-1858);
Thence by descent.

L. Abry, Les hommes illustres de la nation liégoise, Liège 1715, 1867 ed., pp. 245 and 246;
Sammlungskatalog, manuscript 1805, no. 557;
A-G. de Becdelièvre, Biographie Liégeoise, Liège 1837, vol. I, p. 196;
E. Fetis, 'Artistes belges à l'étranger - Gérard de Lairesse', in Bulletin de l'Acadmie Royale de Belgique, vol. XXII, 1855, p. 471;
G. Parthey, Deutscher Bildersaal..etc, Berlin 1864, vol. II, p. 7;
J. Helbig, Histoire de la peinture au pays de Liège, Liège 1873, pp. 203, 216-7;
A. Michiels, Histoire de la peinture flamande depuis ses débuts jusqu'en 1864, Paris 1876, vol. X, pp. 194-6;
J. Helbig, 'Gérard de Lairesse, in Biographie Nationale..., vol. XI, Brussels 1890-91, col. 59;
J. Helbig, La painture au pays de Liège et sur les bords de la Meuse, Liège 1903, pp. 294, 297, 315-6;
A. Micha, Les peintres célèbres de l'ancien pays de Liège, Liège 1911, pp. 105-6;
J. Bosmant, 'Liste des oeuvres de vieux peintres Wallons se trouvant dans les musées allemands en octobre 1935', Chronique Archéologique du pays de Liège, vol. XXXVII, 1946, p. 31;
J. Hendrick, La peinture liégeoise au xviie siècle, Gembloux 1973, p.50;
A. Roy, 'La periode liégeoise de Gérard de Lairesse', in Art et Fact, no. 5, 1986, p. 36, reproduced fig. 3;
A. Roy, ''La periode liégeoise de Gérard de Lairesse', in Acts du colloque sur la peinture liégeois au xviie et xviiie siècles, Liège 1987, p. 25;
A. Roy, Gérard de Lairesse 1640-1711, Paris 1992, pp. 188-9, cat. no. 2.

The original canvas has been removed from its stretcher and relined by a larger piece of canvas. The relining has extended the painting by approximately 12 cm. from the upper margin and approximately 6cm. from the lower margin of the original canvas, and these areas have been roughly painted. The heads of the nails used to fix the original canvas to its stretcher can be found along the upper and lower margins of the original canvas except where this is missing a 3 by 30 cm. rectangle on the left hand side of both the upper and lower margins (as is visible in the catalogue illustration). The paint surface is secure, though very dirty. The painting appears to be a little rubbed in the darker tones, and there is some notable abrasion to the sky and lower right, yet the detail is in fact, well-preserved. The painting is furthermore masked by a rather oxidised old varnish. The painting would benefit from a relining, cleaning, restoration and revarnish. There are some knocks and small patches of paint loss in the trees, to the face of the man above Pales' right arm, and to the garments of the woman lower right. Inspection under UV light is impeded by the aforementioned varnish, but seems to reveal some older retouchings to the painting, the most significant of which attend to the trees upper left, the background figures, and three possible old restored damages lower left. Pales seems largely original apart from retouchings to her left arm and shawl, and the flowers lower left, which are particularly well-preserved seem to be entirely original. Offered in an ornate gilt wood and plaster frame in fairly good condition, with some losses.
"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."

This is Gérard de Lairesse's earliest known work. According to his earliest biographer, Jean Abry, it was painted in 1662 for a local Liège amateur Reinier de Stephani. As Roy observes, the inscription on the altar Hanc tibi magna Pales pastores ponimus aram  identifies the central figure as Pales, goddess of shepherds and pastures, celebrated by Virgil in his fifth Bucolic poem. The model for Pales was apparently the niece of the Comte de Glimes, the Grand Commander of the Order of Teutonic Knights. Abry records that it was originally a study for a larger and slightly different version of the same subject, now lost.