Lot 1107 Dα

On the stretcher of the present work is an old paper label that reads “Proveniente [d]al Museo della Villa Borghese / Sala VI [VI hand written] No” and a hand written label with “Johann Franz van Bloemen / Palazzo Borghese 30. III. 1892”. These indicate the former ownership of the Roman pricely Borghese family and a previous sale of the piece as lot 68 in the auction of works of art and furniture from the “Palais du prince Borghese a Rome” on 28th March to 9th April 1892. Some of the other works that came under the hammer at this highly important sale were two marble busts by Bernini depicting Pope Paul V (from Camillo Borghese, now in the Statens Museum in Copenhagen) and Cardinal Scipione Borghese (now in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Venice), as well as several paintings by Domenichino, which are now housed in the National Gallery in London. Francesco Petrucci supposes this to be one of the works by Bloemen mentioned by Mariano Vasi in his description of the Palazzo Borghese from 1763 (Itinerario istruttivo di Roma, Rome 1763).
Jan Frans van Bloemen apprenticed under Anton Gobau in his home town of Antwerp in 1662. Gobau was one of the few Flemish artists to work in Rome among the primarily Dutch Bamboccianti. Bloemen probably arrived in Rome via Paris and Lyon in 1689. Unlike his teacher, he remained in the city for the rest of his life, save for sojourns to Naples, Sicily, and Malta. He joined the artist's society of “Bentvueghels”, there acquiring the nickname “Orizzonte”. Within a short time he rose to become one of the most respected landscape painters in the entire city, receiving numerous commissions to decorate palaces and villas in and around Rome. Bloemen drew the inspiration for his idealised classical landscapes from city's surroundings. His landscapes are dotted with ancient ruins and populated with figures from mythology or the bible, as well as simple peasants and shepherds. Bloemen rarely painted these figures himself, instead collaborating with his elder brother Pieter or with the famous portrait artist Pompeo Batoni. Therefore, it is primarily the atmosphere and vivid colouring of his panoramic landscapes of the Roman Campagna for which “Orizzonte” is famed to this day.
We would like to thank Francesco Petrucci in Ariccia for confirming the authenticity of this work.