Jan van Noordt

With Joseph M. Morpurgo, Amsterdam, 1929;
H.P. Doodeheefver, Amsterdam, probably acquired from the above in 1941/2 when the dealership was under the forced administration of the Verwalter Jansen;
With M. de Ridder, Haarlem, by whom sold on 13 January 1944 to an agent for the collection of the proposed Führermuseum in Linz;
Returned to the Instituut Collectie Nederland, inv. no. NK 1742;
On long-term loan to the Prince Willem V Gallery, The Hague until 2005;
Restituted to the heirs of Joseph M. Morpurgo in 2007;
From whom acquired by the present owner.

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Tentoonstelling van Oude Kunst, 1929, no. 1302 (as Jacob Backer);
On long term loan to the Prince Willem V Gallery, The Hague unitl 2005.

J.W. Von Moltke, Govaert Flinck, Amsterdam 1965, p. 238, no. 59, reproduced (as probably by Jürgen Ovens);
G. Schlüter-Göttsche, 'Das Gemälde der Auferstehung Christi von Jürgen Ovens aus dem Cassius-Altar. Ehemals Michaelskirche Eutin' in Nordelbingen: Beiträge zur Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte, 1971, vol. 40, p. 88, reproduced no. 10 (as by Jürgen Ovens);
G. Schlüter-Göttsche, Jürgen Ovens, Hollstein 1978, p. 33, reproduced no. 41 (as by Jürgen Ovens);
W. Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, vol. I, Landau 1983, pp.140, 143 note 75, reproduced p. 181 (as by Jan van Noordt); vol. V, Landau 1983, p. 3112 under no. 2144; vol. VI, Landau 1983, p. 3737 under no. 2403a;
W. Sumowski, 'Paintings by Jan van Noordt' in The Hoogsteder-Naumann Mercury, vol. 3, 1986, pp. 27, 36 note 33 (as by Jan van Noordt);
Old Master Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue, The Hague 1992, p. 227, reproduced (as Jan van Noordt);
D.A de Witt, Jan van Noordt, Montreal 2007, pp. 254-255, no. R44, reproduce (under rejected attributions, as tentatively attributed to Jürgen Ovens and possibly of his wife Maria).
Now accepted unreservedly by David de Witt as Jan van Noordt (see below).

The flat, stable support consists of three panels cradled to the reverse. The painting has been recently cleaned and restored and the paint surface is in good condition under a clear, even varnish. Inspection under UV light reveals retouching work along the panel joins and scattered elsewhere and the work has been sensitively carried out and is hardly discernable to the naked eye. Offered in a stained wooden, northern style 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."

When this painting first surfaced on the market, it was variously attributed to Backer and Flinck (see Literature). It was then given to Flinck’s German follower Jürgen Ovens, and was even identified with several erotically-tinted depictions of his wife Maria. In 1983, Werner Sumowski proposed Jan van Noordt as the author, an idea whose merits were seriously considered by David de Witt, yet not accepted, in his dissertation and 2007 monograph on this artist. It was declared to be one of several close imitations of Van Noordt’s depictions of Shepherdesses, by Ovens. A major problem lay with the opacity and smoothness of the paint handling, in particular in the areas of flesh and fabric. Fortunately, subsequent conservation work on the painting revealed that these areas were obscured by a substantial layer of overpaint. Once removed, the fluid, translucent handling of Van Noordt became evident, confirming his authorship, which is now accepted without reservation by de Witt, to whom we are grateful for providing this catalogue note.

Van Noordt’s conception is descended from two earlier depictions of Shepherdesses carrying baskets. The first painting, in the Uffizi, follows his teacher Backer, and dates from 1645 or even earlier. ¹ The second painting, now in Mänttä, is dated circa 1650-55 and here van Noordt adapts the figure to fit a more dynamic composition, in a wooded setting.² 


1. Jan van Noordt, Shepherdess with a Basket of Grapes, circa 1645, panel, 71 by 59 cm, Florence, Uffizi, inv. no. P108; see De Witt 2007 (See Literature), p. 170, no. 42.
2. Jan van Noordt, Shepherdess with a Basket of Fruit, circa 1650-1655, canvas, 75 by 63 cm, Mänttä, Gosta Serlachius Museum of Fine Arts; see De Witt, op. cit., p. 171-172, no. 43.