An extensive landscape with figures examining an urn among ruins

Proportions

An extensive landscape with figures examining an urn among ruins, to scale
127 × 242 mm, beside a 1.8 m figure.
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An extensive landscape with figures examining an urn among ruins

Catalogue ID1.65
Object type drawing
Dateca. 1650
Tech. / supportchalk, ink, pen, vellum
Measures127 × 242 mm
Subject25I12 — prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city
41A772 — container of stone: stone vase
42E3 — grave, tomb and other grave-forms and grave-markers
48C149 — ruin of a building ~ architecture

Broad horizontal landscape with ruins. Groups of people are engaged in different activities. On the right is a sepulchre with a decorated antique vase atop. The vase seems to represent the Sacrifice of Iphigenia. This drawing belongs to a small group of works by the same distinctive hand, which were attributed by Professor I.Q. van Regteren Altena to Herman Breckerveld. As Reinier van 't Zelfde has noted they are not in fact very closely comparable with securely attributed works by that artist. According to the scholar, “[…] The key to their correct attribution lies within a group of drawings by the same hand, formerly with Bernard Houthakker, Amsterdam, one of which is signed on the reverse by the otherwise little-known Carlo Giorgio Quadro (see Dessins exposés chez Bernard Houthakker, Amsterdam 1964, cat. nos. 59-65). Other sheets by the same hand were formerly with Spencer H. Samuels and Co., New York (as Willem van Nieulandt), and sold, London, Sotheby's 9 July 2003, lot 85 (as Franco-Flemish School, late 17th century). […]”

No musical work linked.

Bianco, Anna. “The Master of the Roman Songbook.” Going South: Artistic Exchange between the Netherlands and Italy in the 17th Century, vol. IX, RKD & NIKI, 2023. (nr. 35)

van ’t Zelfde, Reinier. “Herman Jansz. Breckerveld (1595/1596-1673): Een Veelzijdig Ambachtsman.” Oud Holland, vol. 120, 2007, pp. 31–106. (no. T VII, ill)

No provenance recorded.