ABRAHAM GOVAERTS (1589-1626) Lot n° 18

Wooded landscape with carts, travellers, and shepherds in front of a village. C. 1615-1620. Oil on panel. Provenance: London, Sir Charles Clore et al. Christie's, 10.12.1982, lot 32 Sotheby's, 10.12.2002, lot 362 Gallery Gismondi, Paris, c. 2003 Gallery Pintelon, Aalst, 11.6.2006 Private collection, Heverlee Certificate and expert report: Robert Pintelon, 11.2.2006 Abraham Govaerts' oeuvre is considered as one of the culminations within the subgenre of the forest landscape. His spherical, dark forests serve as backdrops for scenes that were painted by the best figure painters of Antwerp such as Hendrick van Balen (1575-1632), Frans Francken II (1581-1642), Hans Jordaens III (ca.1595-1643) and Louis de Caulery (1579/81-1621) amongst others. Ursula Härting and Kathleen Borms write that the bustling activity in the village is a rather unusual subject in Govaerts' oeuvre. The transparency in the paint that matches the rest of the landscape may suggest that Govaerts himself added the figures in this landscape. Based on comparison with dated paintings in which similar figures can be found, the present artwork can be dated around 1615-1620. Härting and Borms mention that there may be a signature under the frame. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case. Nevertheless, thanks to the delicate transparency in the colourful clouds, the detail in the tree leaves and the ingenuity with which the twisted tree trunks are painted, there is no doubt about the hand of the master. 52.7 x 82.5 cm (69 x 100 cm) Lit.: K. Borms, Abraham Govaerts (1589-1626) zijn leven en artistieke bedrijvigheid, bijdrage tot de studie van de vroegzeventiende-eeuwse Antwerpse landschapschilderkunst, ongepubliceerde licenciaatsverhandeling, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 1988, G.27; Ursula Härting & Kathleen Borms, 'Abraham Govaerts. Der Waldmaler (1589-1626)', 2003, cat. nr. 86.