Beschreibung:

DescriptionThe Property of a Gentleman
Johannes VorstermanZaltbommel 1643 - c.1699Gloucester, a view from the north-west
oil on canvasunframed: 76.3 x 115.2 cm.; 30 x 45⅜ in.framed: 95.5 x 134.4 cm.; 37⅝ x 52⅞ in.Condition reportThe canvas is lined, the paint surface is fairly clean, and the varnish is rather discoloured. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals possible wash retouching in parts of the sky, and scattered pinprick retouchings through the foreground, including in the figure holding the hawk, left, and in the trees, centre. The painting is in overall good condition.
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceWith Spink, London, 1928;
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Christie's, 23 November 2004, lot 39, where acquired by the father of the present owner.LiteratureJ. Harris, The Artist and the Country House; A history of country house and garden view painting in Britain 1540-1870, London 1979, p. 45.Catalogue noteThis painting is the earlier of two versions of this view of Gloucester by Vorsterman, which were painted during the artist's time in England between circa 1675 and 1686 (after which time he travelled to Constantinople). The other version is in the Gloucester City Museum and Art Gallery, having been previously owned by the Selwyn family of Matson, from which three Gloucester MPs hailed; in that work, Vorsterman has manipulated the view so that Matson House is included in the background at the foot of Robinswood Hill, to the right.1
This view appears to have been taken from close to the River Severn, between Over and Maisemore. Gloucester Cathedral stands in the centre of the composition, and the numerous other church spires and city buildings are rendered in meticulous detail. The topography of the surrounding area is also depicted with great accuracy, from the buildings of Llanthony Abbey, set apart from the rest of the city to the right; to the Over Causeway - the road in the foreground, which crosses Alney Island, formed by the division of the two branches of the Severn; to the Alney brickworks, in the middle ground; and Zoons Court, the large house to the left, below Chosen Hill.
Vorsterman was born in Zaltbommel in The Netherlands, and trained in Utrecht with Herman Saftleven While in England, he specialised in painting English cities, castles and country houses, including a pair of views of Windsor Castle, in the Royal Collection,2 and a view of Althorp, dating to 1677, which may be viewed as a pioneering precursor to the topographical paintings of the eighteenth century, including those by Canaletto.31 https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/view-of-gloucester-from-the-north-west-623422 https://www.rct.uk/collection/405265/a-view-of-windsor-castle; and https://www.rct.uk/collection/406508/a-view-of-windsor-castle3 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Althorp_in_1677_by_John_Vosterman.jpg