Philips Koninck

Window mounted with thick japan paper. Ink has sunk in/eaten through the paper in one or two places, notably in Christ's arms, and these areas, and some other minor damages and repairs, are backed with very thin japan paper tissue, as are also quite a number of the other thicker lines and areas of ink wash (presumably as a preventative measure to ensure their stability). Further repaired tears at centre of left edge. Paper somewhat discoloured, with light brown line a little inside the edges of the sheet, from previous acidic mount. One or two other small spots, but despite all this the ink remains good and strong, and the drawing reads very powerfully.
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 grand, freely handled drawing is one of a series of similarly executed depictions of biblical subjects that Koninck made in the latter part of his career.  Another, unsigned, version of this drawing, dated by Sumowski to 1655/58, is in the Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig.¹ It is not unusual within Koninck's oeuvre to find multiple, very similar versions of a composition:  there are, for example, three signed and dated drawings of the Lamentation in Braunschweig, all with more or less identical principal figures, two of them dating from 1671 and the third from 1679.²  The date on the present drawing is somewhat hard to read, but does seem to be 1686, making it one of the artist's latest works.  Otherwise, the latest recorded date seems to be 1679, on the above-mentioned drawing in Braunschweig.  The present drawing does indeed share the extremely broad handling seen in the Braunschweig sheet, and is definitely looser in execution than the Leipzig version of the composition.  It can also be usefully compared with some other drawings that Sumowski considers later works, from the late 1670s, such as the Simeon holding the infant Jesus, formerly in the Tobias Christ collection, and Christ carrying the cross in Dresden,³ but what exactly Koninck's drawing style looked like in the final couple of years of his life remains little discussed.  

1.  Inv. 375; W. Sumowski, Drawings of the Rembrandt School, vol. 6, New York 1982, no. 1377^x
2.  Braunschweig, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, inv. 376, 375, 377; Sumowski, op. cit., nos. 1353-55
3.  Sold, London, Sotheby's, 9 April 1981, lot 30, and Dresden, Kupferstichkabinett, inv. C 1377 respectively; Sumowski, op. cit., nos. 1451^x and 1454^x