With a hand-written label to the reverse: "Versteigerung Heberle / 28 Mai 1889. / Sammlung C Pagenstecher / N 86 J van der Ulft / Gorinchem 1627 - 1688 / Links bezeichnet J V.".
And a further label: „Aus dem Mobiliar / d Villa Flühli Vordermeggen / in Luzern / übernommen. / 21. März 1924".
The current work depicting a Roman edifice reminiscent of the Colosseum was attributed to Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen in 1975 by W. van de Watering, an assumption supported by M. C. de Kinkelder of the RKD (The Hague) in 2005. A further ascription to Cornelis van Poelenburgh, proposed by M. Roethlisberger due to the work's similarity to a painting in the collection of the Duke of Wellington (Apsley House, London) has since been disclaimed.
Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen was born into an old patrician family in Delft in around 1600. Prior to his acceptance to the local painter's guild in 1626, he undertook a longer sojourn to Italy, and was thus among the first generation of Dutch italianate painters, along with Poelenburgh and Breenbergh. His now rare works are characterised by their fanciful manner and idiosyncratic colour palettes.
Provenance
Carl Pagenstecher, Elberfeld (1799-1869, a doctor and member of the Frankfurt national assembly). - This auctioned by J. M. Heberle (H. Lempertz‘ Söhne), 28.-29.5.1889, lot 86 (attr. to Jacob van der Ulft, with a full-page illustration.). - Villa Flühli in Vordermeggen by Lucerne. - Private collection, Rhineland.
Literature
For this artist, cf.: B.J.A. Renckens: Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen, in: Oud Holland LXXV, 1960, p. 243-8.