JAN DAEMEN COOL | Portraits of a gentleman and a lady, half-length, wearing black with white ruffs and cuffs

Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Mak van Waay, 14 March 1972, lot 24 (as Jacob Willemsz. Delff the Younger);
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Mak van Waay, 26 September 1972, lot 21 (as Jacob Willemsz. Delff the Younger);
With Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder, The Hague (as Jacob Willemsz. Delff the Younger);
From whom acquired.

Both panels are uncradled, and formed of three vertical planks. Gentleman: the paint surface is clean, and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals small, fine lines of retouching throughout, which follow the vertical wood grain. Lady: the paint surface is clean, and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals small, fine lines of retouching which follow the vertical wood grain in the background and the sitter's face. Further, more sparsely scattered fine lines are also revealed in her collar and coat, and a more concentrated area in her cuff. None of the retouchings impede the legibility of the paintings, and they both appear fresh and ready to hang.
"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 publishing the first study of Jan Daemen Cool in an article of 1997, Rudolf Ekkart revealed the previously little-known artist to be the foremost portraitist in Rotterdam of his time.¹ Ekkart brought together paintings by Cool, who appears never to have signed his works, around a group portrait of the Governors of Rotterdam, dated 1653, the authorship of which is recorded in civic archives.² Though it is not certain with whom he trained, Cool was registered at the Guild of Saint Luke in Delft in 1614, and was most probably apprenticed in the workshop of Michiel van Mierevelt, Delft's most sought-after portraitist and official painter to the stadholder court. His influence is clearly felt in the present paintings, as is that of Jacob Willemsz. Delff the Younger, to whom these works were previously attributed, and who likewise studied with Mierevelt, eventually inheriting his studio. This pair of high-quality, beautifully-preserved portraits, with Cool's distinctive inscriptions, and a characteristic interest in the play and position of the sitters' hands, are an exciting new addition to the artist's œuvre. Though their identities are unknown, the pair makes clear why Cool's portraits were so in demand with the prominent citizens of his hometown of Rotterdam and nearby Delft.

We are grateful for the suggestion of the attribution to Cool by Dr Fred G. Meijer, on the basis of first-hand inspection, which has subsequently been endorsed by Professor Dr Rudolf Ekkart, on the basis of digital photographs.

1 R.E.O. Ekkart, 'De Rotterdamse portrettist Jan Daemen Cool (ca. 1589–1660)', Oud Holland, vol. III, no. 4, 1997, pp. 201–40.
2 Rotterdams Historisch Museum, Rotterdam, inv. no. HMR 11089; see Ekkart 1997, pp. 238–39, cat. no. 28, reproduced.