Tuesday 7 April 2015

After(?) Adriaen van Utrecht


At Raynaud, a French auction house, they sell on 9 April a damaged but as far as I can see pretty well painted wildlife painting described as "After Adriaen van Utrecht", but signed and dated 1650, estimated at 500 Euro.

I don't know whether it is by or after Van Utrecht, more pictures and information would be needed to make a more knowledgeable judgment. But it certainly doesn't look bad or obviously wrong. The style and subject could well be Van Utrecht. The estimate certainly seems rather low, but this may well be due to the condition (damaged, and overcleaned with all varnish stripped if the photo can be trusted.

In 1961, Christie's sold a "Landscape with ducks, chicken and stork" by Van Utrecht for $783 (ah, the prices in those days). No idea whether it is the same painting, that would need further research than I can now do, but it at least proves that Van Utrecht made paintings with this subject. It probably is the same painting though, as the one there was signed and dated 1650 as well. So, a painting that is now (perhaps correctly) described as "after", but in 1961 by Christie's as the genuine article: worth a gamble?


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