The Rafael Valls Sale, Part II
The Rafael Valls Sale, Part II
Jakob Philipp Hackert
A Landscape with a couple by a waterfall, in the distance farmers burning woodland to be used as rye fields; and A view of the Fayence-Fabrique in Marieberg, near Stockholm, with fishing boats and fishermen unloading their catch
Lot Closed
December 16, 02:50 PM GMT
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Jakob Philipp Hackert
Prenzlau 1737 - 1807 Florence
A Landscape with a couple by a waterfall, in the distance farmers burning woodland to be used as rye fields; and A view of the Fayence-Fabrique in Marieberg, near Stockholm, with fishing boats and fishermen unloading their catch
Both gouache;
both signed, dated and inscribed:
the former: signed, dated and inscribed, lower left: Coupe de bois mise en feu en Suede pour y semer du seigle / nomée Swedee-Land. J.P. Hackert.f.1768.;
the latter: inscribed along the edge of the pier: Vue de Marieberg pres de Stockholm. and signed and dated, lower right: J.Ph: Hackert. / f.1768
unframed: each 157 by 200 mm
framed: each 323 by 365 mm
Private collection, France.
Jakob Philipp Hackert was one of the great German landscape painters of the 18th century. From early in his career he acquired a reputation for his precise and carefully detailed drawings. In 1762 he was invited to Sweden by the Swedish Councilor, Adolf Friedrich von Olthof and spent three happy and formative years there before going to Paris in 1765.
In 1768 the artist travelled to Italy with his brother and began to explore the surroundings and picturesque locations outside of Rome, using them as subjects for many drawings and paintings. In 1786 Hackert became court painter to the King of Naples, Ferdinand IV. The terms of his contract allowed him three months a year for himself, so he could travel outside Naples and find inspiration for his paintings in other locations.
These wonderful landscapes, depicting views in Sweden, are both executed in gouache, a medium frequently adopted by the artist and which undoubtedly appealed to his clientele. Gouache enabled Hackert to produce painterly compositions that simulated oil paintings, and due to the many landscapes in gouache that survive, these seemingly proved extremely popular.
Dr Claudia Nordhoff, in her correspondence with the current owner, has kindly provided the information on the early provenance of these gouaches.