Jacob de Heusch

Count Benedykt Tyszkiewicz (1801-1866), Raudondvaris Castle, Lithuania;
By descent to Count Benedykt Tyszkiewicz (1875-1948), Tyszkiewicz Palace, Warsaw by whom deposited in Warsaw National Museum, in 1944 where it was stored (inventory no. M.06.0423 NNW) until its recent return to his descendant;
By whom sold to the previous owner.

The picture is more subdued in tone and richer in colour than the catalogue illustration would suggest. The paint surface appears to be in good overall condition with no apparent areas of damage or loss of paint visible to the naked eye. There is a blanching varnish and associated frosting is visible in the darker pigments under a raking light. There is also scattered surface dirt visible throughout the lighter pigments and the picture could benefit from a clean, but otherwise it appears to be in good overall condition. Examination under ultraviolet reveals retouching to minor old abrasion upper right, to the right of the central tree measuring approx. 2 in. There are also further minor flecks of scattered retouching in the sky. There is also retouching to an old repaired horizontal tear running approx. 25 in. across the sky from the trees on the left which runs to the spire before zig zagging up and across stopping short in the sky above the pediment. There is some further scattered very minor retouching in the sky above the right hand tower. The foreground is in good overall untouched condition apart from some minor strengthening i.e. the darker pigments in the lower left hand corner. There is also evidence of a very minor old repaired horizontal tear measuring approx. 3 in. which runs through the hind legs of the central white horse. There is also a minor area of old restored damage measuring approx. 4 in above the leftmost shepherd's right shoulder and a further area measuring approx. 2 in. in the darker pigments above the fireside figures. Offered in a grand gilt wood frame in good overall 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."

This impressive view of the Roman Forum by Jacob de Heusch is a rare topographical representation of the city by the artist. Jacob de Heusch was one of the leading Dutch artists in Rome in the last quarter of the seventeenth century. He was part of a new wave of Dutch artists, predominantly landscapists, who came to Rome in the 1670s and were influenced by the style and subject matter of previous Dutch visitors.  According to Arnold Houbraken he received his training in Utrecht from his uncle Willem de Heusch (1638-1692) and is documented in Rome by the Jubilee year of 1675. Whilst in Rome de Heusch became best known for his landscapes in the style of Salvator Rosa. The present painting is one of a handful of cityscapes de Heusch painted, much influenced by his fellow countryman, the vedutiste Gaspar van Wittel.¹

Here de Heusch depicts the busy daily life of the Roman Forum, known as the 'Campo Vaccino' since the end of the sixteenth century due to the herds of cows that grazed there. Peasants sold their produce and watered their animals in the Forum until the mid-nineteenth century. The vivid staffage of de Heusch’s composition is framed by monuments from the Forum's more illustrious past: to the left is the church of Santa Maria Liberatrice, which was destroyed in 1902 to enable excavations of Santa Maria Antiqua underneath; behind the walls are the Farnese gardens, erected under Pope Paul III; in the campo in front of the church is the temple of Castor and Pollux and Giacomo della Porta’s drinking trough, adapted from an ancient Roman granite basin.

De Heusch’s lively combination of contemporary figures in a topographically accurate setting was typical of the type of views of the city eagerly sought by both Italian collectors and visiting Grand Tourists.

1. See for example the painting sold Amsterdam, Sotheby’s, 2 November 2004, lot 79 for €96,000.