Lucas van Uden

Private collection, Italy. 

The painting is executed on then usually wide single piece of oak wood which is flat, stable, uncradled and beveled on the top and sides. Paint surface is dirty and covered by a rather milky varnish underneath which no major losses or significant retouches are visible. The picture would respond well to a light cleaning after which it would certainly brighten considerably. Much of the fine detailing and foliage is still intact. In a carved gilt wood frame.
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.

This fresh and elegantly composed composition displays Lucas van Uden's expert touch and mastery of the Flemish landscape. Like his greatest contemporaries Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Brueghel the Elder, and David Teniers, Van Uden was a keen observer of nature. Additionally as with many landscape painters of his day, Van Uden based most of his paintings on sketches taken directly from nature during excursions into his local countryside. His style was heavily influenced by Rubens' inventive landscapes, and he may have worked for a time in his studio. Indeed he is known to have based a number of works directly on Rubensian compositions.

We are grateful to Ellis Dullaart of the RKD for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs. Though van Uden often collaborated with other artists--namely David Teniers the Younger and Jan Wildens--  Dullaart believes that both the landscape and staffage are both by van Uden. The figures in this work can be compared to a similarly executed and identically composed figure group which recurs in other van Uden landscapes, for example a signed copper sold London, Sotheby's, 8 December 2005, lot 107.