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408
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Jan ASSELIJN or Asselyn known as "Crabbetje" (1610-1652)
For…
See original version (French)
408
-
Jan ASSELIJN or Asselyn known as "Crabbetje" (1610-1652)
For…
See original version (French)
Estimate €8,000 - €12,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Jan ASSELIJN or Asselyn known as "Crabbetje" (1610-1652)
Fording near Italian Ruins, c.1640
Oil on panel.
H_45.7 cm W_37 cm
Signed lower left "JA".
Provenance :
Cabinet de Monsieur Poullain, 15-21 March 1780, described, lot n°24 sold to
engraved by Basan (Antoine Poullain was Receiver General of the King's estates.
of the King's estates, he had assembled a formidable collection of paintings, the
one of the most prestigious sales of the 18th century).
Jacques Langlier or Lenglier (1732-1814), Parisian art dealer
probably one of the most important before the Revolution.
Catalogue of a fine collection of paintings from the Flemish, Dutch, German and French schools,
Dutch, German and French schools, ... making up the cabinet of M.
Dubois, marchand orfèvre jouaillier, rue des Poulies, by J. B. P. Le Brun,
the sale of which will take place on Wednesday 31 March 1784, & following days, lot n°49,
described, acquired by Le Rouge
Nicolas Lerouge (circa 1720 - after 1799), renowned art dealer, he was
father-in-law of Jean-Baptiste Pierre Le Brun with whom he collaborated
regularly.
Le chevalier Soenens, Ghent, late 19th century
Related works :
Jan Asselyn, Italianate landscapes with cattle near ruins dated
1647, Oil on panel, Fogg Museum, Harvard Art Museum, inv. 1994.154
Known today mainly for his famous Threatened Swan in the Rijksmuseum in
in the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, the first work acquired in 1800 by the
Nationale Konst-Gallery, forerunner of the Rijksmuseum, Jan Asselijn remains a relatively rare
artist on the market.
Unpublished and hitherto unknown to specialists of the artist, this
only documented by an engraving executed in the 18th century to illustrate one of the most
to illustrate one of the most prestigious Parisian collections of its time: the
Antoine Poullain's cabinet. Receiver General of the King's Estates, Poullain
Poullain had assembled an exceptional collection of early paintings, whose
the sale of which, organised in March 1780, was one of the major events in the art market
the art market during the reign of Louis XVI. The prestigious nature of this
sale is illustrated by its famous engraved frontispiece, in which an allegory of Painting
The prestigious nature of this sale is illustrated by its famous engraved frontispiece, in which an allegory of painting immortalises the masterpieces brought together in its cabinet. The fact that
that our painting was chosen to be reproduced in this collection and the high price
price achieved at the time of its sale testify to the esteem in which it was held by
in the eighteenth century.
The provenance of the work is particularly remarkable. After the
sale, it passed into the hands of Jacques Langlier, one of the most influential art
influential art dealers in pre-revolutionary Paris, before joining the collection of
Dubois's collection, whose sale was organised in 1784 by Jean-Baptiste
Pierre Le Brun, a major figure in the French art market and husband of the painter
Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun. Acquired on this occasion by the dealer Nicolas
Lerouge, Le Brun's father-in-law and collaborator, the work remained in private
private collections before reappearing in Ghent in the collection of the
Soenens at the end of the 19th century.
Our painting is typical of the works executed by Asselijn following his
of his Italian sojourn. Settling in Rome in the 1630s, he frequented the
circle of Nordic painters known as the Bentvueghels and developed an
and developed an artistic language deeply influenced by the light and
Italian landscapes. The composition successfully combines ancient ruins and
animated scene of characters inspired by the bamboccianti tradition. This
This alliance between classical art and popular life is one of the most sought-after
of his body of work.
The presence of the ruins evokes the fascination of northern artists with
ancient heritage, while the figures, caught up in everyday occupations
the scene a narrative and picturesque dimension.
Asselijn demonstrated his mastery of the organisation of space, the animation of groups and the rendering of the landscape.
groups and rendering the landscape. His qualities earned him a place
among the Dutch Italianate painters of the seventeenth century, and he was
portrayed in 1647 by Rembrandt.
More than a work of art, our painting is a veritable itinerary of the Parisian merchant
merchants-merchants in Paris before the Revolution. Langlier, Le Brun and Lerouge
were among the leading figures in the European art market of their time.
period. Its passage through their successive hands testifies not only to its recognised
quality, but also of its importance within a circle of collectors and dealers
collectors and dealers who played a major role in shaping the taste for Flemish and
Flemish and Dutch painting in France.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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