KOLLER VIEW 3/23

6 Preview of the Old Master Paintings auction on 22 September 2023 With his atmospheric depictions of nature, Jan van Goyen was one of the pioneers of landscape painting in the Netherlands during the Golden Age. Four of his paintings in our September Old Masters auction im- pressively represent his oeuvre. ‘River landscapewith sailboat and barge’ from1634 and ‘River landscape with fishing huts’, which can be dat- ed to 1638, are outstanding examples of van Goyen’s early work (ill. 2 and 4). He had moved from Leiden to Paintings froma golden age The Hague in 1632, hoping for better living conditions and more commissions in the residential city. Van Goy- en’s works from this period are characterised by warm brown tones and gentle brushwork, as well as his expert use of light. The earliest of the four paintings, ‘River landscape with sailboat and barge’ deftly contrasts the tonal colours of the shore with the refreshing blues of the water’s surface and the cloud-covered sky (ill. 2). ‘River landscape with fishing huts’ demonstrates van Goyen’s luminous colour palette with warmbrowns and intense yellows and greens (ill. 4). ‘Dune landscape with church’, dating from the artist’s middle creative phase, shows three farmers talkingover a fence (ill. 1). The artist replaced the intrinsic colours of thetrees, theskyandthepeoplewithearthytones, aswas customary in this phase of Dutch landscape painting. In stark contrast to the two river landscapes is ‘River landscape with fishing boats’, painted in 1655 during van Goyen’s late creative period (ill. 3). From the 1640s, the artist focused increasingly on marine painting. In the beginning, his subjects were still relatively simple. In the course of time, however, his compositions, such as this one, became increasingly animated and complex, with dynamic, expressive brushstrokes. 1 J an van Goyen (1596–1656). Dune landscape with church. Oil on panel. 30 × 54.3 cm. Estimate: CHF 40 000/60 000 2 J an van Goyen (1596–1656). River landscape with sailboat and barge. 1634. Oil on panel. 37.7 × 51.7 cm. Estimate: CHF 50 000/70 000 3 J an van Goyen (1596–1656). River landscape with fishing boats. 1655. Oil on panel. 37.5 × 34.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 70 000/100 000 4 D etail: Jan van Goyen (1596–1656). River landscape with fishing huts. 1638. Oil on panel. 47 × 61 cm. Estimate: CHF 45 000/55 000 1 2 3 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OLD MASTER PAINTINGS Karoline Weser weser@kollerauctions.com ONLINE CATALOGUES www.kollerauctions.com