Jürgen Ovens - Portrait of a Young Gentleman in Green with a Hunting Hound - image-1

Lot 1069 Dα

Jürgen Ovens - Portrait of a Young Gentleman in Green with a Hunting Hound

Auction 1141 - overview Cologne
16.11.2019, 11:00 - Paintings and Drawings 15th - 19th C.
Estimate: 25.000 € - 35.000 €
Result: 37.200 € (incl. premium)

Jürgen Ovens

Portrait of a Young Gentleman in Green with a Hunting Hound

Oil on canvas (relined). 84.5 x 68 cm.

A half-length portrait of a young nobleman with a hunting dog beside him, by the Danish-German painter Jürgen Ovens.
The sitter wears green robes and long curled hair, a silk shirt with a short ruff collar with gold embroideries. Depicted in a manner expressing the confidence of youth, he sits before a window through which appears a park landscape. Larsen suggests that the work can be tentatively dated to 1655-1660.
Ovens was born in North Frisia but despite this he has always primarily been considered a Dutch painter. Houbraken reports that he apprenticed with Rembrandt in the late 1630s and there exists a wealth of drawings documented by Sumowski to support this. The influence of the master Rembrandt is most evident in his use of chiaroscuro and his choice of costumes, such as the shirt and robes in the present work.
Jürgen Ovens produced a variety of works throughout his career, taking imagery from the Bible, ancient history, and allegories, the history of Holstein and especially portraits. In later years, his work is closer to masters such as Govaert Flinck, Ferdinand Bol, Jan Lievens, and Bartholomeus van der Helst - which has contributed to his affiliation as a Dutch master.

We would like to thank Patrick Larsen for confirming the authenticity of this canvas as a work by Jürgen Ovens. It will be included in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné.