Pieter Pietersz. Lastman

Possibly Pieter Lastman, Amsterdam, inventory 7 July 1632;
Possibly Anonymously sold ("The Entire Property of a Nobleman"), London, Philips, 29 January 1806, lot 84;
Private Collection, Belgium, possibly by the beginning of the 20th century.

 

The canvas has a wax relining. Overall this picture is in quite good condition. There are some very small scattered losses in horse and rock area above figures which could be filled in with slight restoration. There is a fine craquelure throughout which is stable. Small scattered retouches are visible under UV, notably in red cloak at bottom left, and scattered but these are minor. A couple of small retouches in foliage at left are visible to the naked eye. The figures and horse in very good state. Readjustment to a couple retouches is recommended but in overall favorable 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.
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.

The discovery of The Good Samaritan marks an important addition to the oeuvre of Pieter Lastman, one of the most important history painters in the Netherlands in the early seventeenth century.  Christian Tico Seifert fully accepts it as an autograph work by the artist and date to circa 1612-1615.¹

There are very few paintings of The Good Samaritan in the Netherlands at this period, though the subject was more common in prints, and until now no extant pictures of the subject by Lastman.  However there is a brief entry in the inventory of his house made on 7 July 1632, the year before his death, that reads simply Samaritaen Lastman and it is very likely, given the rarity of the subject, that this is the picture in question.  The very absence of a signature reinforces the connection of the present work to the inventory, for there would have been no reason for Lastman to sign a painting he intended to keep for himself. 

The theme of the Good Samaritan is loving one's neighbor and it is recorded in the Gospel of Luke 10:25-37.  Jesus relates the story of a man who is beaten and robbed while traveling on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem.  Both a priest and a Levite pass him by without stopping to help.  Finally a Samaritan, a traditional enemy of the Jews, dismounts from his horse to help the man, pouring oil and wine on his wounds.  He then takes him to an inn to recover and even pays for his room.

The style and the composition of The Good Sarmaritan mark it as a work of the early 1610s.  It is painted on canvas, a medium he reserved for his grandest works.  Lastman sets the large figures in the foreground of a carefully described landscape.  They and the horse create a triangle that descends from left to right and is offset by the much smaller line of the background trees that descend from right to left.  The artist uses a similar approach in his painting of Ruth and Naomi of 1614, in the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum, Hannover, and Tobit Pulling the Fish from the Water.   The two small frogs in foreground and the distant figure, presumably the uncaring priest or Levite, are oblivious of the events going on around them.  Lastman's concentraton is on the Samaritan and his caring for the wounded traveler, which is the crux of the story. The Samaritan is an exotic Oriental of the type who frequently appears in Lastman's paintings and the complex pattern of overlapping folds on his turban and robes are utterly characteristic of the artist.   The large, patient horse actually reappears in Jephthah's Return from the Battle, of circa 1614-1617, in the Museum Briner und Kern, Winterthur.  The most extraordinary figure is the wounded traveler, who lies precariously on his side, bloodied and barely aware of what is happening.  His curious pose reinforces the gravity of his wounds and underlines the charity of the Samaritan, which is the focus of the story.²  Highly regarded by his contemporaries, Lastman until quite recently was viewed mainly from the perspective of his role as Rembrandt's teacher, is now recognized as a formative force in the development of Dutch painting.

 

1.  C.T. Seifert, written communication with the present owner, 5 November 2011.  His monograph on the artist was scheduled to appear as this catalogue was going to press.
2.  Seifert has suggested that he may be based on an engraving after Stradanus, which shows a similar figure  with bent knees and his head towards the viewer, see F.W. H. Hollstein, The New Hollstein : Dutch & Flemish etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, 1450-1700, vol. 47, no. ?