Lot 220: Julius Porcellis (Rotterdam 1609 - 1645 Leyden)

Ships on a choppy sea, en grisaille, monogrammed in the driftwood at lower right J P, oil on paper mounted on panel, 22 x 38 cm, framed, (Wo).

In 1990, a similar seascape by Julius Porcellis bearing the same monogram and featuring an identical sailing boat, likewise painted on paper and mounted on panel, figured in the gallery of Rafael Valls in London. The present work, executed in monochrome brownish hues, unites the spontaneity of the drawing and the substantiality of the colouring, which lend the work a rare freshness.
Provenance: The present painting was traditionally regarded as a work by Simon de Vlieger and was auctioned at such in 1935 by Kende in Vienna.