Lot 112: CORNELIS SYMONSZ. VAN DER SCHALCKE . HAARLEM 1611 - 1671

THE FOLLOWING TWO LOTS ARE PROPERTY FROM A DECEASED'S ESTATE

A DUNE LANDSCAPE WITH TRAVELLERS RESTING NEAR A ROAD

measurements note
33.5 by 53.5 cm.

oil on panel

NOTE

Cornelis Symonsz. van der Schalcke is little known among the Haarlem landscape painters of the 17^th century. Formerly considered as a follower of van Goyen, his oeuvre is only small and has had little attention from art historians in the past. Our knowledge today is largely due to J.Q. van Regteren Altena, 'Cornelis Symonsz. Van der Schalcke', in: Oud Holland, vol. 43, 1926, pp. 45-60 and to H.U. Beck, Künstler um Jan van Goyen, Doornspijk 1991, pp. 378-89, who catalogued his oeuvre.

Van der Schalcke's paintings reveal him to be an artist within the tradition of Haarlem landscape painting, yet of his own merit and style. For this he combined an easy and successful assimilation of the various artistic achievements of his fellow townsmen, such as Salomon van Ruysdael, Pieter Molijn, Jacob van Ruisdael and Philips Konink, with a highly skilled painterly style.

Van der Schalcke's assimilation of the art of his colleagues is especially visible in the former and present lot, both depicting Van der Schalcke's favourite subject: the winding road in the dunes. For the first, he based his composition on prototypes by Pieter de Molijn (1595-1661), for the second on those by Salomon van Ruysdael (1600/3-1670) from the 1630's. However, van der Schalcke adds to the scenes with strong light effects, which are his main interest throughout his oeuvre. In the landscape with a fence a strong beam of light lights up the oak tree on the left and falls through the open gate of the fence on the road, thus creating a sense of intense drama. In the landscape with travellers, it is the towering cloud above the top of the dune in the centre which makes a contrast with the quiet calm in the foreground, yet telling not much good for the weather later in the day

Van der Schalcke used the similar light effects in a number of dune landscapes of the 1640's such as the example signed and dated 1645, in a private collection, Wassenaar, by 1985 , another picture signed and dated 1645, with Cramer, The Hague, 1974 and the picture signed and dated 1647, which was with Douwes, Amsterdam, 1967. On the basis of these comparisons, a similar date of execution for this and the following lot is proposed. (See: H.U.Beck, op.cit., pp. 382-4, nos. 1069, 1071, 1074, reproduced).