Hans Savery the Elder

Captain Edward George Spencer-Churchill (1876–1964), Northwick Park, Blockley, 1965;
His sale, London, Christie's, 29 October 1965, lot 2 (as signed and dated 1626) for £800;
Where (presumably) bought by J. Norman Esq.;
Anonymous sale, Cologne, Lempertz, 5 May 1966, lot 70 (as Dutch, first half of the 17th century);
With Brian Koetser, London, 1966;
From whom acquired for the present collection.

London, Brian Koetser Gallery, Paintings by old masters, March–June 1966, no. 22;
Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum and Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Roelant Savery in seiner Zeit (1576–1639), 28 September 1985 – 16 February 1986, no. 91. 

L.J. Bol, Die holländische Marinemalerei des 17. Jahrhunderts, Braunschweig 1973, p. 41, reproduced fig. 40, p. 42 (as signed and dated 1622);
K.J. Müllenmeister, Meer und Land im Licht des 17. Jahrhunderts, Bremen 1981, vol. 3, p. 47, cat. no. 369 (as signed and dated 1622);
A. Bentkowska, 'Navigatio vitae : elements of emblematic symbolism in 17th century Dutch seascapes', in Bulletin du Musée National de Varsovie, 23, 1982, p. 40, note 46 (as signed and dated 1622);
M. Russell, Visions of the sea. Hendrick C. Vroom and the origins of Dutch marine painting, Leiden 1983, p. 50, reproduced, fig. 58 (as signed and dated 1626);
E. Mai, in Roelant Savery in seiner Zeit (1576–1639), exhibition catalogue, Cologne 1985, p. 181, cat. no. 91, reproduced p. 180 (as signed and dated 1626 [1622?]).

The panel is uncradled. The surface is flat and the paint secure. The colours remain strong and the paint surface is very clean. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals an even varnish and only one single very small retouching at the centre right. Otherwise the work is free of retouching. Overall the work is in excellent condition. The work is offered in a black bevelled Dutch style frame in excellent 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."

In a period of discovery, when the world was proved to be round and entirely navigable, superstitions and tales of monsters and mysterious beasts were reinforced, rather than weakened, by the revelations of the sea voyagers. Maps and mariners' charts produced in the sixteenth century, such as Olaus Magnus' Carta Marina (published Venice 1539), were frequently illustrated with abominable sea creatures, supposedly based on the reports of sailors.¹ Credence in fantastical monsters lasted well into the seventeenth century, even in the most advanced centres of scientific learning, like the University of Leiden.² It was in this climate of belief that Savery and other artists, such as Hendrick Vroom (1563–1640), were working. Here, the inclusion of recognisable animals alongside the monsters is testament to the ingenuity of the artist navigating his way between fact and fantasy in representing the New World. 

Hans Savery the Elder was the brother of Jacob and Roelandt Savery. The three brothers, and at least one of their two sisters emigrated to the north, but settled in different cities: Roelandt in Utrecht, Jacob in Amsterdam and Hans probably in Haarlem, where he specialized in marine painting. The handful of paintings and drawings by him depict stormy seas and beach scenes influenced by his fellow Haarlemmer, Vroom. 

There is some discrepancy in the documenting of the date of this picture, but scholars are in agreement that it was certainly executed in Savery's final years. As one of only a handful of signed and attributed paintings, this is a particularly rare example of Savery's engaging work.

1. See Russell 1983, p. 48, reproduced p. 49, fig. 56a.
2. See E. Lunsingh Scheurleer, 'Un amphithéâtre d'anatomie moralisée', in Leiden University in the Seventeenth Century, Leiden 1975, pp. 217–78.