Lot 311: Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraaten (Dutch, 1622-1666)

Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraaten (Dutch, 1622-1666)
Winter landscape with horse-drawn sledge, skaters and golfers on a frozen waterway by a windmill, Amsterdam and the IJ beyond
oil on canvas
41½ x 50 3/8 in. (105.5 x 127.8 cm.)

Anonymous sale; Christie's, Amsterdam, 21 May 1985, lot 158.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, Amsterdam, 12 June 1990, lot 212.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, Amsterdam, 10 November 1997, lot 135, where acquired by the present owner.

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium
Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraaten specialised in paintings of winter townscapes. Although his work reflects the increased interest in topography in mid-seventeenth-century Amsterdam, a somewhat romantic atmosphere is noticeable in his winter landscapes. In this painting he shows the view under a dark, cloudy sky.