by-nc

Oak tree (recto)

Maker

(artist)
1601-1653

Title

Oak tree (recto)

Date of Production

1600 - 1699

Medium

black and white chalk with stumping, with brown ink framing lines (recto), black chalk (verso), on blue laid paper

Dimensions

Height: 37.8 cm
Width: 26.6 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.4018

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

Simon de Vlieger's portrait of an oak is remarkably animated, its twisted limbs spiralling off the trunk like muscular arms. Curves and dashes of black chalk suggest the uneven growth of the bark. A small study of the same tree on the back of this sheet implies that de Vlieger studied the tree from nature, working out the relationship of the trunk and limbs before undertaking the final drawing.

Provenance

Karl Eduard von Liphart, Dorpat, Bonn and Florence (1808-1891), L.1687; by descent to his grandson, Reinhold von Liphart, Rathshof (second half of 19th century), L.1758; C.A. Earnshaw, London; purchased from him by Colnaghi (London), 21 October 1948; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, 25 November 1948 (£14); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Dutch drawings from the Witt Collection: Part 1: Landscape, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1972 (Jan.-Mar.)

Drawings Gallery Display - Regarding Trees, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 18/06/2016-25/09/2016

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 ...More

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 ...Less

Literature

Davies, Alice, Jan van Kessel (1641-1680), Doornspijk 1992
no. Dd12 on p. 271
pl. 277
listed under 'Doubtful drawings' by van Kessel, supported attribution to de Vlieger

The Northern Landscape: Flemish, Dutch and British Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1986
cat. no. 67
p. 159

Dutch drawings from the Witt Collection: Part 1: Landscape, Courtauld Gallery, London, January - March 1972
cat. no. 4 ...More

Bolten, Jaap, Nederlandse en Vlaamse tekeningen uit de zeventiende en achttiende eeuw ... van het Groninger Museum voor Stad en Lande, Groningen 1965
under no. 103 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Collector's mark: Verso: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Reinhold von Liphart (L.1758); lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Karl Eduard von Liphart (L.1687); lower left edge, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

Inscription: Verso: upper left corner, graphite: "28."; upper centre edge, graphite, underlined: "Lip"; upper right corner, graphite, Colnaghi number and price: "+ / A 15837 / TL/-/- //"; left lower edge, graphite: "30="; lower right, graphite, underlined: "ex Liphart Coll"; lower left, black ink: "912"; lower right, graphite: "S de Vlieger / 1601-1653 //"; lower centre edge, graphite, unclear: "3210" [?]".

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