Landscape with travellers on a road
Maker
(artist)
1595-1661
1595-1661
Title
Landscape with travellers on a road
Date of Production
1653 - 1657
Medium
black and red chalk, brown wash, on laid paper, with framing lines in pen and brown ink drawn over red and black chalk
Dimensions
Height: 18.9 cm
Width: 30.2 cm
Width: 30.2 cm
Accession Number
D.1952.RW.4015
Mode of Acquisition
Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Label Text
Signed by Molijn at lower right, this drawing is conceived as an independent work. It depicts a landscape typical of the environs of the artist’s hometown of Haarlem. The distinctly Dutch setting is marked by a winding country road leading travellers to the nearby dunes that define the region’s coastline. Combining red and black chalk with pale wash, Molijn explores the possibilities for rendering light and shadow through a very limited colour palette.
Notes
Variant on a painting by Molijn of 'The Sandy Road', dated 1626 in Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Brunswick. It exhibits characteristics of his paintings of the early to mid-1650s. The use of red chalk is unusual, as Molijn usually limited himself to black chalk and grey wash. The care he took argues it was a finished work of art for a collector's album, rather than a preparatory study.
Scrap of former mount in curatorial file.
Provenance
W. Thompson; purchased from him by Colnaghi (London), 4 October 1948; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), 25 November 1948 (£20); Witt Bequest 1952
Exhibition History
Dutch drawings from the Witt Collection: Part 1: Landscape, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1972 (Jan.-Mar.)
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Landscapes in the Making: Dutch & Flemish 16-17th Century Drawings from the Courtauld Gallery, Tobu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 03/11/2000-24/12/2000; Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Shizuoka, 02/02/2001-11/03/2001; Koriyama City Museum of Art, Koriyama, 17/03/2001-15/04/2001
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/09/1986-30/11/1986; The Drawing Center, New York, 08/04/1986-26/07/1986
Master Drawings of the 17th century from the Witt Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Festival Exhibitions, Adelaide, 1968
Master Drawings from the Witt and Courtauld Collections, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 17/11/1962-22/12/1962
Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59 ...Less
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Landscapes in the Making: Dutch & Flemish 16-17th Century Drawings from the Courtauld Gallery, Tobu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 03/11/2000-24/12/2000; Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Shizuoka, 02/02/2001-11/03/2001; Koriyama City Museum of Art, Koriyama, 17/03/2001-15/04/2001
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/09/1986-30/11/1986; The Drawing Center, New York, 08/04/1986-26/07/1986
Master Drawings of the 17th century from the Witt Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Festival Exhibitions, Adelaide, 1968
Master Drawings from the Witt and Courtauld Collections, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 17/11/1962-22/12/1962
Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59 ...Less
Literature
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
no. 28
p. 143, detail on p. 145
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 51
pp. 110, 185
p. 111
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 52
p. 129 ...More
Dutch drawings from the Witt Collection: Part 1: Landscape, Courtauld Gallery, London, January - March 1972
cat. no. 16
Anthony Blunt and Philip Troutman, Master Drawings from the Witt and Courtauld Collections, 1962
cat. no. 27
Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 57 ...Less
no. 28
p. 143, detail on p. 145
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 51
pp. 110, 185
p. 111
The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 52
p. 129 ...More
Dutch drawings from the Witt Collection: Part 1: Landscape, Courtauld Gallery, London, January - March 1972
cat. no. 16
Anthony Blunt and Philip Troutman, Master Drawings from the Witt and Courtauld Collections, 1962
cat. no. 27
Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 57 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower right corner, black and red chalk, signed by the artist, first two letters monogram: “PMoLyn”. Verso: upper centre edge, graphite, the first number crossed out in brown ink: “337”; upper right edge, graphite: “89”; centre, graphite, crossed out in graphite: “63”; centre, graphite: symbol of an “L” crossing a circle [see 1986 catalogue; not in Lugt]; centre, graphite, enclosed in a box: “Cf40”. Scrap of former paper mount, now removed and kept in curatorial file: lower right corner, graphite: arrow pointing up at where the signature on the drawing would have been; lower right corner, graphite, Colnaghi number: “A15806”
Collector's mark: Mount (removed, now only a scrap kept in curatorial file): Recto, lower left corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).
Inscription: Recto: lower right corner, black and red chalk, signed by the artist, first two letters monogram: “PMoLyn”. Verso: upper centre edge, graphite, the first number crossed out in brown ink: “337”; upper right edge, graphite: “89”; centre, graphite, crossed out in graphite: “63”; centre, graphite: symbol of an “L” crossing a circle [see 1986 catalogue; not in Lugt]; centre, graphite, enclosed in a box: “Cf40”. Scrap of former paper mount, now removed and kept in curatorial file: lower right corner, graphite: arrow pointing up at where the signature on the drawing would have been; lower right corner, graphite, Colnaghi number: “A15806”
Collector's mark: Mount (removed, now only a scrap kept in curatorial file): Recto, lower left corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).
Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.
____________________________