Jan Josefsz. van Goyen

Sale, Amsterdam, Fred. Muller & Cie, 25 April 1911, lot 39 (to Douwes for fl. 320);
With Gebr. Douwes, Amsterdam;
P. Smidt van Gelder, Jr., by 1921;
His deceased sale, Amsterdam, Fred. Muller, 13 December 1921, lot 101 (for fl 450);
With D. Komter, Amsterdam, by 1924;
With D.A. Hoogendijk, Amsterdam, by 1926;
With Dr. H. Schäffer, Berlin, by 1932;
J.M.C. Hoog, Haarlem; 
By descent to T. Hoog, Haarlem, by 1960;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam, by 1966;
Alfred Brod, 1967.

Amsterdam, A. Mak, Tentoonstelling Collectie Kunsthandel D. Komter, 1 – 22 September 1924, no. 47;
Berlin, Galerie Dr. Schäffer, Hundert seltene Holländer, April – May 1932, no. 42;
Haarlem, Frans Halsmuseum, Tentoonstelling van oude kunst in het Frans Halsmuseum, 4 – 26 April 1936, no. 12;
Leiden, Stedelijk Museum 'De Lakenhal'; Arnhem, Gemeentemuseum, Jan van Goyen, 4 June – 26 September 1960, no. 1;
Amsterdam, Kunsthandel P. de Boer, Collection d'hiver, 1966-67, no. 16;
New Brunswick, The Jane Vorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Haarlem: the Seventeenth Century, 20 February – 17 April 1983, no. 62;
Birmingham 1995, no. 7;
New Orleans 1997, no. 20;
Baltimore 1999, no. 19.

C. Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und kritisches Verzeichnis der Werke der hervorragendsten holländischen Maler des XVII. Jahrhunderts, vol. 8, London 1927, p. 121, cat. no. 469;
H. van de Waal, Jan van Goyen, Amsterdam, 1941, p. 6;
A. Dobrzycka, Jan van Goyen, 1596-1656, Poznan 1966, cat. no. 1, reproduced p. 145, no. 10;
H. -U. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596-1656, ein Oeuvreverzeichnis, Amsterdam 1973, vol. II, p. 53, cat, no. 99, reproduced;
F.F. Hofrichter, Haarlem: The Seventeenth Century, exhibition catalogue, New Brunswick 1983, p. 92, cat. no. 62, reproduced in color p. 14, plate 10;
P. Sutton, Masters of 17th-Century Dutch Landscape Painting, exhibition catalogue, Boston 1987, p. 319;
New Orleans 1997, pp. 51-52, cat. no. 20, reproduced p. 52;
Baltimore 1999, pp. 50-51, cat. no. 19, reproduced p. 51.

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Overall the painting is in very good condition, with no apparent losses to the paint film. The green-hued landscape remains vibrant and free of defects, with well-preserved small brushstrokes delineating the figures. Restoration has been undertaken to counteract noticeable woodgrain in the sky and in a very few small bits of the landscape near the horizon. The circular-shaped, horizontally-grained wood panel is planar, with its original beveled edge on the verso. The varnish is slightly discolored but evenly glossy, with adequate saturation. The painting can be displayed in its current state, however, if desired, cleaning and a new restoration could be carried out to improve the appearance of the upper half of the painting.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Painted in 1620, this summer landscape of a quaint countryside with a small river is one of Jan van Goyen’s earliest dated paintings.  The work precedes van Goyen’s development of his distinct style of tonal painting and reaffirms the early influence of Esaias van de Velde, with whom he studied in Haarlem in 1617.  Here, aspects of van Goyen’s Haarlem training are visible in the brushwork, in the round composition anchored by a large tree and architecture, in the low horizon, and in the restrained green palette of the landscape that contrasts with the more vibrant clothing of the figures gathered in the foreground.