Lot 168: DIRCK VAN DELEN

DIRCK VAN DELEN HEUSDEN CIRCA 1605 - 1671 ARNEMUIDEN SOLOMON RECEIVING THE QUEEN OF SHEBA signed and dated lower center: D.van.delen f. 1642 oil on panel 46 by 67 in.; 116.8 by 170.2 cm.

Greenwich, Connecticut, Bruce Museum of Arts and Science, Old Master Paintings from the Hascoe Collection, 2 April - 29 May 2005, no. 5.

T.T. Blade, The Paintings of Dirck van Delen, University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation 1976, p. 249, no. 99;
P. Sutton, Old Master Paintings from the Hascoe Collection (exh. cat. Bruce Museum), Greenwich 2005, p. 18, no. 5, reproduced.

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 22 November 1950, lot 110;
Private Collection, Sweden;
Anonymous sale (The Property of a Swedish Collector), London, Christie's, 8 July 1983, lot 90 (with a note stating "the staffage is probably the work of Jan Olis");
With John Hoogsteder, The Hague;
From whom acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Saul Steinberg, New York, circa 1985;
With Richard Feigen, New York, 1992-1994, returned unsold to Mr. and Mrs. Steinberg;
By whom sold (Property from the Collection of Saul and Gayfryd Steinberg) New York, Sotheby's, 22 January 2004, lot 108;
Where acquired by the present owners.

Unlike his contemporary Pieter Saenredam, who was renown for his naturalistic paintings of existing buildings, van Delen specialized in fanciful architectural "perspectives," in which he combined imaginary and historical elements, such as courtyards, porticos and archways with an emphasis on dramatic spatial recession. Although the identity of his teacher remains unclear, van Delen's art is closely related to the architectural paintings and designs of Hans (1527-before 1609) and Paul Vredeman de Vries (1567-circa 1636); Hendrick van Steenwijk the Younger (circa 1580-before 1649) and Bartholomeus van Bassen (circa 1590-1652).

As with his earliest dated work, Church Interior with the Presentation in the Temple, in the Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig (signed and dated 1623), van Delen has here combined his architectural confections with biblical subject matter. The painting recounts the story from the Book of Kings (1 Kings 11:1-8) in which the Queen of Sheba -- intrigued by the accounts she has heard of the wisdom of the Israelite king -- travels to Jerusalem with her retinue to seek an audience with Solomon. The Queen, her ladies in waiting and an African servant kneel in the center of the courtyard, while Solomon is enthroned to the left and additional members of the queen's court bearing gifts enter the scene from the right. Although van Delen has incorporated a few historical elements -- such as the spiral Solomonic columns and the statue of Justice visible atop the portico over the king's throne (a reference to 1 Kings 3:16-28) -- it is clear that he has taken delight in the creation of a complex and completely imaginary architectural setting in which interior and exterior spaces meld together into a singular environment.

At least two other versions of this subject by van Delen are known: one signed and dated 1633 that was sold London, Christie's, 29 November 1963, lot 40 (oil on panel; 50 1/2 by 77 in.; present location untraced) and another, signed and dated 1638 in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille (oil on canvas; 39 3/8 by 61 in.). Although all three compositions are quite different in many respects, all share a feeling of monumentality and complexity.