Details
Jan van Goyen (Leiden 1596-1656 The Hague)
A view of Dordrecht
signed with initials and dated 'VG 1643' (lower center, on the boat)
oil on panel
1512 x 2514 in. (39.4 x 64.2 cm.)
Provenance
Georges Talon & Others; Galerie Fievez, Brussels, 10 March 1927, lot 30, as dated 1647.
M. La Borderie & Others; Galerie Fischer, Lucerne, 19 July 1927, lot 47, as dated 1647.
with Julius Böhler, Munich, 1928.
with Kunsthandel AG, Lucerne, 1934.
Private collection, Austria.
C. Peto Bennett, O.B.E.; (†) Christie's, London, 7 July 1978, lot 231.
with Galerie Sanct-Lucas, Vienna, 1978.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, New York, 14 January 1994, lot 32, where acquired by the present owner.
Literature
H.-U. Beck, Jan van Goyen, 1596-1656: Ein Oeuvreverzeichnis, II, Amsterdam, 1973, p. 148, no. 302, illustrated, as dated 1647; III, Doornspijk, 1987, p. 178, no. 302.
Exhibited
The Hague, Kunstzaal Kleykamp, Tentoonstelling van schilderijen door oud-hollandsche en vlaamsche meesters, 1929, no. 16.
Brought to you by

Lot Essay

Van Goyen returned repeatedly to views of Dordrecht looking toward the Grote Kerk. While the artist began to make sketching trips to the city as early as the 1630s, the majority of his views of it appear to have been executed almost exclusively in the 1640s and 1650s. His burgeoning interest in Dordrecht in the period may have much to do with his familial ties to the city, as his son-in-law, Jacques de Claeuw, was active as a painter there from about 1642, around the year in which van Goyen's depictions of Dordrecht began in earnest.
As is typical of his mature paintings, here van Goyen employs a low horizon line, devoting more than two-thirds of the composition to the cloud-filled sky, which enlivens the landscape and figures with the luminous hues of yellow, orange and brown of a crisp afternoon light. The overall tonality is enhanced by van Goyen's skilful use of a highly efficient method of painting that allows the ground to peak through in places. Unlike his earlier, panoramic views of the city, here the Grote Kerk, which dominates the right half of the composition, is imbued with a monumentality that looks ahead to his paintings of a few years later.

Related Articles

Sorry, we are unable to display this content. Please check your connection.

More from
Old Master Paintings and Sculpture
Place your bid Condition report

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

I confirm that I have read this Important Notice regarding Condition Reports and agree to its terms. View Condition Report