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Lot Essay
Dating from late in van de Velde's career, between 1630 and 1640, this drawing was etched by the artist and published after his death by Claes Jansz. Visscher (1587-1652). It was included in a series of 35 landscapes which Visscher advertised as van de Velde's final works, with the title Playsante lantschappen ende vermakelycke gesichten na 't leven geteykent, en in 't koper gemaeckt door Ian van de Velde ('Delightful landscapes and amusing views drawn from life and reproduced on copper by Jan de Velde'). The print, which shows the drawing's composition in reverse, differs from it in many details. Most significantly, three figures have been added: van de Velde's prints sometimes made use of staffage drawn by Willem Buytewech. Furthermore, the wall which runs out from the side of the house in the present drawing has been omitted in the print, while a pitched roof has been added.
Although stylised, the drawing clearly represents a real place, as indicated by the title of Visscher's print series. An early drawing by Jan van Goyen (1596-1656), which dates from around 1630, shows what appears to be the same building, though lacking the wall at the side of the house, with a river beyond and a farm on the far bank (Musée de Grenoble; La pointe et l’ombre: Dessins nordiques du musée de Grenoble XVIe-XVIIIe siècles, exhib. cat., Grenoble, 2014, no. 21).
Although stylised, the drawing clearly represents a real place, as indicated by the title of Visscher's print series. An early drawing by Jan van Goyen (1596-1656), which dates from around 1630, shows what appears to be the same building, though lacking the wall at the side of the house, with a river beyond and a farm on the far bank (Musée de Grenoble; La pointe et l’ombre: Dessins nordiques du musée de Grenoble XVIe-XVIIIe siècles, exhib. cat., Grenoble, 2014, no. 21).