Aert Schouman

Aert Schouman (Dordrecht 1710-1792 The Hague) Portrait of Ocker Gevaerts (1735-1807), Lord of Geervliet, Simonshaven and Biest, and his sister Johanna Gevaerts (1733-1779), son and daughter of Paulus Gevaerts (1697-1770), Lord of Gansoyen, Mayor of Dordrecht, three-quarter-length, in a park landscape with dogs and a horse signed and indistinctly dated 'A. schouman. 174. (lower left) oil on canvas 58 x 44.8 cm. Commissioned by the parents of the sitters; thence by descent Collection F.G.A. Gevaerts, Voorburg, 1985 and by descent to T.A. van Gelder, Amsterdam. THE PROPERTY OF A DUTCH NOBLE FAMILY (LOT 682) In 18th century Dordrecht, the versatile Aert Schouman was the leading artist. He was in demand by all the leading families of the city, including the mighty Gevaerts family. Schouman portrayed several members of this family of regents, and was often commissioned by Paulus Gevaerts, the mayor of Dordrecht (1697-1770). The present lot portrays his daughter and son Johanna and Ocker, at a young age. Ocker would follow in the family footsteps and became Mayor of Dordrecht, Representative of the States of Holland and Governor of the East India Company. Johanna would marry Hendrik Karel Count of Nassau-LaLecq, Lord of Beverweerd and Odijk in 1753. According to her contemporary, the literary Justinus de Beyer (1705-1772), she was a spirited lady with a 'goût décidé' for arts and science.

Aert Schouman (Dordrecht 1710-1792 The Hague) A dwarf rooster (Gallus nana) signed 'A Schouman' and with inscription 'Gallus nana Krielhaan Holland A Schouman' (on a fragment of paper attached to the back of the frame) watercolour, pen and brown ink framing lines 9 5/8 x 7¼ in. (24.4 x 18.4 cm.)

LOT 147 AERT SCHOUMAN DORDRECHT 1710 - 1792 THE HAGUE A PAIR OF BLACK TERNS WITH NEST AND EGG IN A RIVER LANDSCAPE Watercolour with touches of gouache over traces of black chalk; signed and inscribed, verso: t' Wijfje Levens groot: zijnde iets klijnder als de man / en Eyeren / Zwarte Ekstern / A Schouman 359 by 267 mm

LOT 153 AERT SCHOUMAN DORDRECHT 1710 - 1792 THE HAGUE A: A PAIR OF PIED FLYCATCHERS; B: A PAIR OF GOOSANDER Quantity: 2 Both watercolour and gouache over traces of black chalk; A: signed lower right: A. Schouman and inscribed in blackchalk on the verso: Bonte meijvogeltje mannetje en wijfe A.S.1769; B: signed lower centre: A: Schouman and inscribedindistinctly in black chalk on the verso: MergusMenutus (?) kleine Zaa..bek scherpbek/Holland A) 364 by 255 mm B) 374 by 263 mm

AERT SCHOUMAN DORDRECHT 1710 - 1792 THE HAGUE measurements note 454 by 315 mm DESCRIPTION Black chalk and stumping heightened with white chalk on beige paper; signed and dated in brown ink, upper right: A.Schouman 1753. CATALOGUE NOTE This impressive and arresting study is immensely unusual within Schouman's oeuvre. Although portraiture was an important part of the artist's work, figure studies such as this are very rare. Charles Dumas of the RKD, The Hague, one of the organisers of a forthcoming exhibition on Schouman, has kindly informed us that he knows of only five other figure drawings by the artist, none of which are as direct, informal and engaging as this. The Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam, has two male academy studies1, a third, in black and white chalk on blue paper, was sold in Amsterdam in 19892, and we also know of two female nudes, in red and black chalk.3 The present figure may perhaps have been conceived as a study for a St. John the Baptist. 1. Inv. RP-T-1892-A-2679, and another recently acquired drawing. 2. Sotheby Mak van Waay, 22 November 1989, lot 241 3. Standing female nude, formerly in the Nijstad Collection, sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 19 May 2004, lot 160 (as Dutch School, 18th Century); Seated female nude, signed and dated 1760, Private collection Germany, see Neue Zeichnungen alter Meister, exh. cat., Münster, Westfälisches Museumsamt, 1981, no. 85