Lot 1264 Dα

“It is true that after his death his paintings fetched much higher prices than during his life time, because the Dauphin of France and the Prince of Bavaria bought them everywhere in Holland.“ Arnold Houbraken writes this in his biography of Philips Wouwerman whom he terms a “lucky artist“ because of his great success. This southern river landscape is an example for the fascination for Wouwerman in the 18th century. It once belonged to Joseph-Antoine Crozat, Baron de Tugny, a nephew of the famous collector Pierre Crozat whose collection he interited in parts. Looking at the painting - its colours, its light and its atmosphere - one can imagine what fascinated the dix-huitième siécle about Wouwerman.
This late painting, dated by Schumacher around 1665, depicts a river harbour. Shiploads are being cleared and horsecarts loaded, some fish in the river, others swim in it. We see a picturesque bustle, the harbour is populated by numerous figures and animals. The rich figural staffage is a distinctive feature of this painting, since Wouwerman´s harbour scenes and coastal landscapes mostly do not consist of such a large number of figures.
The most striking feature of this painting is its palette, the light, warm tone of the colours and the use of colour perspective that evoke the atmosphere of a misty morning in a southern town. In the right foreground (with the white horse in its centre) the colours are brillant, in the middle ground - and even more in the background - they are used more softly, appearing as if they were painted with pastel. It was probably, above all, this palette that French collectors and artists of the 18th century were attracted to most about the art of Wouwerman.