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Lot Essay
The pair of delicate landscapes in the present lot are hitherto unrecorded works by the artist and make an exciting addition to his oeuvre. The paintings have been in the possession of the same Dutch family for at least a century.
Painted in 1849, when Koekkoek was an established and internationally acclaimed artist, both landscapes show the use of characteristic compositions that the artist had developed earlier on in his career in the 1830's. The dense summer forest with emphasis on a large tree in the centre of the composition is a theme which the artist took up again in the late 1840's. In contrast to the paintings with this subject from the 1830's, Koekkoek now preferred a horizontally sized format instead of a vertical one. The composition is richer in detail, the staffage is more elaborate and there is an even more refined use of light and shadow. The diffusion of light through the trees on the left creates an incredible depth in the painting.
The winterlandscape is also strongly reminiscent of the winterscenes that Koekkoek painted in the 1830's: the landscapes have a wonderful stillness in atmosphere and staffage, which is quite different from the more exuberant winterlandscapes by Koekkoek's contemporary, Andreas Schelfhout. In his winterscenes Koekkoek worked according to the ruling principle for artists at the time that the staffage in a winterlandscape should not only be pleasing but should also show relevance to the season. In contrast to the summer landscapes, where Koekkoek absorbed the influences from the surrounding German countryside around Cleves, he would refer to the flat Dutch countryside for his winterlandscapes.
Koekkoek painted pairs like the present lot throughout his carreer. Usually it is the difference in seasons that binds these works together rather than any particular comparison in composition.
The authenticity has been kindly confirmed by Drs Guido de Werd on the basis of a photograph.
Painted in 1849, when Koekkoek was an established and internationally acclaimed artist, both landscapes show the use of characteristic compositions that the artist had developed earlier on in his career in the 1830's. The dense summer forest with emphasis on a large tree in the centre of the composition is a theme which the artist took up again in the late 1840's. In contrast to the paintings with this subject from the 1830's, Koekkoek now preferred a horizontally sized format instead of a vertical one. The composition is richer in detail, the staffage is more elaborate and there is an even more refined use of light and shadow. The diffusion of light through the trees on the left creates an incredible depth in the painting.
The winterlandscape is also strongly reminiscent of the winterscenes that Koekkoek painted in the 1830's: the landscapes have a wonderful stillness in atmosphere and staffage, which is quite different from the more exuberant winterlandscapes by Koekkoek's contemporary, Andreas Schelfhout. In his winterscenes Koekkoek worked according to the ruling principle for artists at the time that the staffage in a winterlandscape should not only be pleasing but should also show relevance to the season. In contrast to the summer landscapes, where Koekkoek absorbed the influences from the surrounding German countryside around Cleves, he would refer to the flat Dutch countryside for his winterlandscapes.
Koekkoek painted pairs like the present lot throughout his carreer. Usually it is the difference in seasons that binds these works together rather than any particular comparison in composition.
The authenticity has been kindly confirmed by Drs Guido de Werd on the basis of a photograph.