CORNELIS MATTHIEU | An angler fishing in a woodland setting, with a gentleman on horseback on the path beside him

Dr J.A. van Dongen (1888–1972), Amsterdam, 1962;
From whom acquired by F.C. Butôt (1906–92), Sankt Gilgen, Austria, by December 1962;
His posthumous sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 16 November 1993, lot 34, where unsold and acquired post-sale.

Dordrecht, Dordrechts Museum, Nederlandse Landschappen uit de zeventiende eeuw, 6 July – 2 September 1963, no. 77;
Salzburg, Museumpavillon im Mirabellgarten, 12 July – 12 September 1972; Münster, Westfälisches Landesmuseum, 26 September 1972 – 14 January 1973, Niederländische Kunst aus dem Goldenen Jahrhundert;
Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Hollandse en Vlaamse Kunst uit de 17^e eeuw, 16 February – 1 April 1973.

Niederländisches Kunst aus dem Goldenen Jahrhundert--Gemälde und Zeichnungen im Umkreis grosser Meister aus der Sammlung F.C. Butôt, exhib. cat., Salzburg 1972, pp. 72–73, reproduced;
Hollandse en Vlaamse kunst uit de 17e eeuw: hoogtepunten van minder bekende meesters: schilderijen en tekeningen uit de verzameling F.C. Butôt, exhib. cat., Rotterdam 1973, pp. 74-75, reproduced;
L.J. Bol, Holländische Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts nahe den grossen Meistern, Brunswick 1973, pp. 14, 169–70, reproduced p. 171, fig. 163;
L.J. Bol & G. Keyes, Netherlandish Paintings and Drawings from the Collection of F.C. Butôt, London 1981, p. 106, cat. no. 36, reproduced.

The single oak panel is uncradled, flat and stable. The paint surface is dirty, and the varnish is discoloured. There are some small discoloured retouchings lower left, to a couple of losses and a pin-prick hole caused by old woodworm. A short, vertical line of retouching is also visible just below the fisherman's rod, 1 cm. long, with a couple of other small discoloured retouchings lower right, and a pin-prick loss on the right-hand margin just below centre. Small, scattered discoloured retouchings are visible in the sky, with some more concentrated areas around the silhouette of the trees, notably in the centre of the composition. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms all these, as well as revealing some tiny strengthenings in the rider lower right, and a pin-prick retouching in the face of the child beside him. The painting is in overall good condition and will respond very well to cleaning.
"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."

Cornelis Matthieu's paintings are rare, and we know nothing about his training and life, apart from a record of him in Vianen. On the evidence of this picture and a few others, he must have been captivated by the work of Adam Elsheimer, which he might have known via the work of Elsheimer's followers such as Johan König or, more likely, the prints of Elsheimer's amanuensis Hendrick Goudt, who settled in Utrecht, not far from Vianen, upon his return from Rome. Here Matthieu has perfectly captured the elegiac mood of Elsheimer's paintings set in landscapes, adding a Dutch note of weather, with a cloud spilling rain at the top of the picture.