Willem van de Velde

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Willem van de Velde

1633-1707

Three Fishermen on the Shore Handling a Net

Pen and brown ink, gray wash, over traces of graphite, on paper.

4 5/16 x 7 1/4 inches (110 x 185 mm)

Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.

I, 148

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Inscription:

Inscribed on the verso of the lining, at upper left corner, in graphite, "17.0"; at upper right corner, in the hand of Serres, in black ink, "of Vandevelde / D. Serres" (with a flourish); at the left of signature, in graphite, "June 19:, 1779"; and at lower right corner, in another hand, in graphite, "Braun".

Provenance:

Dominic Serres (1722-93), London; Samuel Woodburn (1786-1853), London (no mark; see Lugt 2584); his sale, London, Christie's, 16-27 June 1854, lot 2467: "W. van de Velde. Dutch boats and fishermen, in shallow water. From the Collection of D. Sérre" (to "Munro" for £0.18.0); Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), London and Florence; from whom purchased through Galerie Alexandre Imbert, Rome, in 1909 by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York (no mark; see Lugt 1509); his son, J. P. Morgan, Jr. (1867-1943), New York.

Bibliography:

Collection J. Pierpont Morgan : Drawings by the Old Masters Formed by C. Fairfax Murray. London : Privately printed, 1905-1912, I, 148, repr.

Notes:

Watermark: none visible through lining.
Inasmuch as some of the gray wash of the drawing flows over onto the mount, one wonders if the gray wash was part of the artist's work after he had mounted the drawing, or was all or some of it added by a later owner, perhaps Dominic Serres (1722-93) who was himself marine painter to King George III of England (reg 1760-1820)?

Associated names:

Serres, Dominic, 1719-1793, former owner.
Woodburn, Samuel, 1785 or 1786-1853 former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.

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