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拍品專文
Colourful harbour scenes, replete with anecdotal detail, such as the present, were a specialty of Willaerts, and earned him early acclaim. In 1661 the Flemish author Cornelis de Bie praises the poetic qualities of his art and the 18th century artists' biographer Arnold Houbraken singles out both the naturalness and artfulness as well as the degree of detail of his river scenes and marines as the foundation of his fame.1
Although this painting is generally dated to around 1630, the costumes of the elegantly dressed figures in the foreground were the height of fashion around 1615, strongly suggesting that the work is relatively early and from that time.2 The carefully arranged composition of the imposing panoramic riverscape and the refined treatment of the landscape, vessels and figures support an early date as well. Showing the artist at the peak of his creative powers, this capriccio is a supreme production of the master. The scene is imaginary, but the square church tower rising up from behind the city walls at the right is unmistakably modelled on that of the Buurkerk in Utrecht. Beautifully observed is the soft light of a setting sun, subtly spreading across the scene and calling up the atmosphere of a late afternoon. The stylized rendition of the figures and many details, such as the small white-crested waves in the river, the trees and the fortifications add a naïve charm to the painting's appeal.
Adam Willaerts counts as one of the great pioneers of Dutch marine painting. Merging influences of Southern Netherlandish art, in particular Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hendrick Vroom, he forged the signature style that became his trademark. In Utrecht, where he spent his entire productive life, the artist repeatedly fulfilled leading positions in the painters' guild and lead a busy studio, training numerous pupils, among them his three sons Abraham, Cornelis and Isaac, who would become competent painters in their own right.
1 See: Cornelis de Bie, Het gulden cabinet der edel vrij schilder const..., Antwerp, 1661, pp. 111,112 and: Arnold Houbraken, De groote Schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen, 3 vols., Amsterdam 1718-21, I, p. 60.
2 We are grateful to Sara van Dijk, dress historian at Leiden University, for her kind assistance.
Although this painting is generally dated to around 1630, the costumes of the elegantly dressed figures in the foreground were the height of fashion around 1615, strongly suggesting that the work is relatively early and from that time.
Adam Willaerts counts as one of the great pioneers of Dutch marine painting. Merging influences of Southern Netherlandish art, in particular Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hendrick Vroom, he forged the signature style that became his trademark. In Utrecht, where he spent his entire productive life, the artist repeatedly fulfilled leading positions in the painters' guild and lead a busy studio, training numerous pupils, among them his three sons Abraham, Cornelis and Isaac, who would become competent painters in their own right.