Poppy Harvey-Jones
Head of Sale
Lot 59
Jan Josefsz. van Goyen(Leiden 1596-1656 The Hague)A view of Arnhem from the North West unframed
Withdrawn
Amended
4 December 2013, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£40,000 - £60,000
Ask about this lot
Jan Josefsz. van Goyen (Leiden 1596-1656 The Hague)
A view of Arnhem from the North West
signed with initials and dated 'VG/1643' (lower centre)
oil on panel
24.2 x 30.1cm (9 1/2 x 11 7/8in).
unframed
signed with initials and dated 'VG/1643' (lower centre)
oil on panel
24.2 x 30.1cm (9 1/2 x 11 7/8in).
unframed
Footnotes
LITERATURE
H-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen 1596-1656, Amsterdam, 1987 (Ergänzungsband), cat. no. 286, ill. p. 175, fig. 286 (under undated, unknown works)
Van Goyen painted the town of Arnhem on numerous occasions, particularly during the 1640s: in his original volume on the artist, Hans-Ulrich Beck lists a total of ten. Examples include that of 1646 in the Statens Museum, Copenhagen, and that of a year earlier in the Liechtenstein collection. The view is taken from the North West with the characteristic belfry of the Grote Kerk clearly visible in the middle distance and the twin towers of the St. Walburgaskerk beyond, around which is visible the broad sweep of the Rhine carving its path around the far side of the city.
By 1643, the date of the present work, van Goyen had firmly established his reputation as a painter of monochromatic, tonal landscapes. In his View of Arnhem from the North West, van Goyen has carved up the composition into very clear areas of light and dark to create a sense of depth. He has then used elements such as the horse and cart, windmill or the church belfry of the Grote Kerk to punctuate this underlying tonal structure. Above the carefully constructed landscape is a wide and cloudy sky, typical of his work of the 1640s. By dispensing with a varied palette, van Goyen is able to concentrate entirely on recreating the atmosphere of a misty, grey day outside the city of Arnhem.
Saleroom notices
Please note that this lot has been withdrawn whilst further provenance research is carried out. We hope to offer the painting in the future.