Lot 165: A seated girl, seen from behind

Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (Amsterdam 1621-1674) A seated girl, seen from behind black and white chalk on blue paper, black ink framing lines 8 5/8 x 6¾ in. (22 x 17 cm.)

22 x 17 cm.

W. Sumowski, Drawings of the Rembrandt School, New York, 1980, III, no. 731x.

with R.W.P. de Vries, Amsterdam; from whom purchased by I.Q. van Regteren Altena on 20/22 July 1926 for 5 guilders (Inventory book: '154. t. Backer vrouw v. achter').

Sumowski notes that Professor van Regteren Altena attributed this drawing to Jacob Backer, but he believes that owing to stylistic similarities with the Study of a seated African (also from the van Regteren Altena collection; sold Christie's, London, 10 July 2014, lot 47), it should also be given to van den Eeckhout. He compares it to a figure in a very similar posture in a Family portrait in a pastoral setting (Fig. 1) dating from 1667 in the Szépmüveszeti Múzeum, Budapest (W. Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, Pfalz, 1983, II, no. 538, illustrated p. 901). Fig. 1. Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, Family portrait in a pastoral setting, Budapest, Szépmüveszeti Múzeum.