LOT DETAILS

Materials:

oil on panel

Size Notes:

panel: 8 1/8 by 11 7/8 in.; 20.6 by 30.3 cm.

Edition:

Pieter de Molijn was a prolific Dutch Golden Age artist active primarily in Haarlem, where he entered the Guild of Saint Luke in 1616. This painting, which shows soldiers waiting in hiding to ambush oncoming travelers, likely dates to Molijn's early career. It shares a number of notable similarities in figural types, setting and style to his works from about 1629-1631.1 For example, the figures with their large floppy hats come close to the types found in Molijn's signed and dated drawing of 1629,1 the foliage and landscape comes close to that found in an early drawing today in Braunschweig,2 and the setting and style closely compares to an signed oil painting dated 1630 of a Farm Landscape with a wagon and figures recorded by Beck in a private collection, Houston.3 This painting also shares affinities with a panel formerly attributed to the late career of Esias van de Velde but that is today given to Pieter de Molijn and is datable to circa 1630-31.4

Description:

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Markings:

The panel is flat, uncradled, and stable. Bevelling is visible at all four edges. The painted surface reads well overall, with crisp and colorful details well preserved. There is a small dot of retouching in the extreme upper left corner near the branch of trees, and a spot of retouching in the sky at upper right. Inspection under UV reveals only a few scattered small spots here and there throughout, mostly near the extreme edges. The painting can certainly hang in its present condition. Offered in a decoratively carved gilt frame with some nicks and losses.

Condition:

framed: 14 1/4 by 17 3/4 in.; 36.2 by 45.1 cm.