Godfried Van Schalcken

Godfried Schalcken (Dordrecht 1643-1706 The Hague) A lady at her toilet remains of signature (lower centre) oil on panel 57 x 45.5cm (22 7/16 x 17 15/16in). PROVENANCE: Sale, Lempertz, Cologne, 25 November 2000, lot 1215 Sale, Vuyst, Belgium, 5 October 2002, lot 519 Sale, Bonhams, London, 10 December 2002, lot 315 Sale, Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 3/4 December 2003, lot 1273 Sale, Dorotheum, Vienna, 29 September 2004, lot 241 Sale, Van Ham, Cologne, 17-19 November 2005, lot 1635 In a letter dated 4 July 2001, Fred Meijer of the RKD confirms the attribution of the present painting to Godfried Schalcken and dates this work to the mid-1660s, issuing from the artist's apprenticeship years in Gerard Dou's workshop or a little later. Thus the style and composition show the strong influence of the Leiden School and in particular Gerard Dou and Pieter van Slingelandt. The central figure displays analogies with Schalcken's Lady with a bird of 1667 (see: T. Beherman, Godfried Schalcken (Maeght, 1988), no. 143, p. 236, ill.).

GODFRIED SCHALCKEN (1643 Made - 1706 Den Haag) GYGES UND DIE FRAU DES KÖNIGS KANDAULES Öl auf Leinwand. 35 x 30 cm. Gutachten Walther Bernt, München, 25.4.1975. Provenienz Sammlung J. L. Menke, Antwerpen. - Deren Versteigerung, Galerie Le Roy, Brüssel 1.6.1904, Lot 72 (weitere Gemälde und Miniaturen aus der Sammlung J. L. Menke wurden auch in der 159. Lempertz-Auktion in Köln am 3.4.1914 versteigert). - Sammlung Kommerzienrat Hermann Renner, Hamburg. - Auktion Brandt, Amsterdam, 20.11.1973, Lot 29. - 540. Lempertz-Auktion, Köln, 14.11.1974, Lot 169. - Deutsche Privatsammlung. Cornelis Hofstede de Groot: Beschreibendes und kritisches Verzeichnis der Werke der hervorragendsten holländischen Maler des XVII. Jahrhunderts, Bd. 5, Esslingen und Paris 1912, S. 400, Nr. 262. - Thierry Beherman: Godfried Schalcken, Paris 1988, S. 119f, Nr. 33 m. Abb. Thierry Beherman schlägt in seinem Werkverzeichnis zu Schalcken als Bildthema des vorliegenden Gemäldes eine Geschichte aus Herodot (I, 8-12) vor. Demnach drängt König Kandaules von Lydien seinen Günstling Gyges, die sich entkleidende Königin heimlich in deren Schlafgemach zu beobachten. Nachdem diese den Eindringling bemerkt, stellte sie ihn vor die Wahl, entweder durch die Hand ihrer Diener getötet zu werden oder seinerseits den König zu töten und sie zur Frau zu nehmen. Gyges wählte das Leben und die Königsherrschaft. In den Niederlanden war dieses eher abgelegene Thema durch eine Erzählung von Jacob Cats (1577-1660) durchaus bekannt und wurde von etlichen Künstlern als Gemäldevorwurf gewählt, darunter Frans van Mieris d. Ä., Eglon van der Neer oder Adriaen van der Werff. Godfried Schalcken bot es die willkommene Gelegenheit, seine charakteristische Bildlichtgestaltung an einem weiteren passenden Bildsujet anzuwenden. Der Künstler wählte seinen Bildthemen häufig im Hinblick darauf, seine Virtuosität im Malen von Lichteffekten demonstrieren zu können. Wie bei zahlreichen seiner stets kleinformatigen Arbeiten ist es eine Kerze, die zumeist als einzige Lichtquelle den Bildraum schemenhaft erhellt und eine geheimnisvolle Wirkung erzeugt. Im vorliegenden Gemälde kommt darüber hinaus noch eine zweite Kerze zum Einsatz, die hinter dem roten Bettvorhang in der linken oberen Bildecke zu erkennen ist. Das Gemälde bietet damit neben der gewohnten Lichtführung Schalckens mittels einer Kerze überdies den subtilen Effekt einer durch Stoff hindurchscheinenden Lichtquelle. Falls das von Behermann vorgeschlagene Bildthema zutreffen sollte, ist in der Person, die diese zweite, verborgene Kerze hält, König Kandaules zu vermuten. Godfried Schalcken gehört zum Kreis der Leidener Feinmaler um Gerard Dou, in dessen Werkstatt er ausgebildet wurde. Später arbeitete er sowohl in Dordrecht als auch in Den Haag; ein längerer Aufenthalt führte ihn von 1692 bis 1699 nach London, wo er Bildnisse von König Wilhelm III. und der englischen Aristokratie anfertigte, eine kürzere, vermutlich 1701 angetretene Reise an den Hof des Pfälzer Kurfürsten Johann Wilhelm nach Düsseldorf. Das Oeuvre des Künstlers umfasst rund 210 sicher zugeschriebene Gemälde, darunter religiöse und mythologische Historien, Genrebilder und Porträts. In his catalogue raisonné of Schalcken, Thierry Beherman suggests the theme of a story from Herodot (1, 8-12) as the subject matter for this picture. According to the story, King Kandaules von Lydien urges his minion to spy on the naked queen in her bed-chamber. When she discovers the intruder, she gives him the choice of either being killed by her maid, or of him killing the king and marrying her. Gyges chose life and kingly power. In the Netherlands, this theme was popularised by a story from Jacob Cats (1577-1660), and chosen by quite a number of artists as a painting study, including Frans van Mieris the Elder, Eglon van der Neer or Adriaen van der Werff. This also provided Godfried Schalcken with the welcome opportunity of another suitable picture subject for his characteristic light effect compositions. The artist primarily chose themes for pictures which would demonstrate most effectively his virtuosity in painting light effects. As in numerous of his, mostly small, works, a candle is often used as the only light source in the shadowy room, creating a mysterious effect. In the present painting a second candle has been added, behind the red bed curtain in the upper left corner. As a result, alongside Schalcken's usual use of employing light, the painting is added the subtle effect of a light source through material. If Behermann's suggested picture theme is correct, it is assumed here that the person holding the second, hidden candle, is in fact King Kandaules. Schalcken belonged to the circle of the Leidener fine artists of Gerard Dou, in whose workshop he was trained. He later worked in Dordrecht and Den Haag; for a longer period from 1692 to 1699 he travelled to London where he produced portraits of King Wilhelm III and the English aristocracy, and for a short time, presumably in 1701, journeyed to the court of the Palatine Elector Johann Wilhelm in Düsseldorf. The oeuvre of this artist encompasses around 210 positively attributed paintings including religious and mythological histories, genre pictures and portraits.

LOT 280 GODFRIED SCHALCKEN MADE, NEAR BREDA 1643 - 1706 THE HAGUE PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN A WIG signed in monogram middle left: G.S. oval, oil on copper 12,000—18,000 USD measurements measurements note 5 1/8 by 4 1/4 in.; 13.2 by 10.9 cm. Description signed in monogram middle left: G.S. oval, oil on copper Godfried Schalcken was a pupil of Samuel van Hoogstraten andalmost certainly trained with Gerard Dou until 1665. Schalckenrepeated some of the artistic formulas developed by the Dutchmaster such as the use of a curtain to frame the composition.Schalcken is also well known for playing with lighting effects inhis religious and mythological scenes as well as in his officialand unofficial portraits.As a portraitist, he was very much in demand by the wealthy Dutchbourgeoisie throughout his career. At the end of his life,Schalcken seemed to concentrate more on smaller portraits,preferring oval formats, such as the present painting. The tightframing and very restricted dimensions confer upon the image ofthis young man an impression of intimacy and psychologicalintensity. The dark and neutral background brings out his smoothcomplexion. The sitters pose is calm, yet serious, and appears tocapture his personality in a very natural way. Another portrait by Schalcken depicting A Woman, Bust-Length,Wearing a Dark Green Dress with Mousseline, and a String of Pearls,of almost the exact same dimensions and format, was sold New York,Sotheby's, 25 January 2008, lot 298, for $55,000.

LOT 70 GODFRIED SCHALCKEN MADE, NEAR BREDA 1643 - 1706 THE HAGUE PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN, STANDING THREE-QUARTER LENGTH, WEARINGA BROWN CLOAK WITH A WHITE CHEMISE, IN A LANDSCAPE SETTING; PORTRAIT OF HIS WIFE, SEATED THREE-QUARTER LENGTH, WEARING A RICHLYEMBROIDERED GREEN AND RED SATIN DRESS WITH A WHITE CHEMISE AND ASHAWL, IN A LANDSCAPE SETTING 40,000—60,000 EUR measurements measurements note each: approx. 43 by 34 cm. Description a pair, both signed lower left: G Schalcken. both oil on panel Quantity: 2 PROVENANCE Private Collection, The Netherlands. CATALOGUE NOTE These portraits can be dated around 1680, when Schalcken was thechief portrait painter to the high society of Dordrecht andsurrounding area, a role he had taken over from Nicolaes Maes(1634-1693), after the latter had left in 1673 for Amsterdam.Schalcken had been a pupil of Samuel van Hoogstraaten (1627-1678)in Dordrecht and Gerard Dou (1613-1675) in Leiden, and was thustrained in the tradition of the Leiden Fijnschilders. In theseportraits this heritage is amply demonstrated by the meticulouslydetailed treatment of both the sitters and the details of theirdress. The small half-length format of both portraits was muchfavoured by Schalcken at this date, both on panel and on coppersupports. Compare, for example, the pair of portraits on copper ofSchalcken himself and his wife Francoisia van Diemen, in theLiechtenstein Princely Collections, Vienna (inv. nos.89-90),1 or the pair in the Maurithuis, The Hague, ofDiederick Hoeufft and his wife Isabella Agneta Deutz, which canalso be dated around 1680.2 Only later on did he startto paint on bigger sizes, replacing his panels and coppers forcanvas and moving further away from his fine painter'stechnique. While we do not know the identity of these sitters, they musthave belonged to the upper social class in the area of Dordrecht.The Prentenkabinet in Leiden keeps a drawing of an anonymousgentleman (Fig. 1) which shows great likeness to our male sitter.Also the background of the drawing and our painting is extremelysimilar with the tree trunks placed on a high rock. If we allowourselves to consider this drawing to be a preliminary sketch forour portrait, we realize the artist has taken the liberty to makesome changes in the oil painting. While the gesture of the handremains the same, some of the details in his clothing have changed,but moreover, he has decided not to show the gentleman's leg in thefinished painting, ultimately giving the sitter a moredistinguished posture.3 1. See T. Beherman, Godfried Schalcken , Paris 1988, pp.170-1, cat. nos. 71-2. both on copper, 43 x 34 cm. signed insimilar ways as the present lots.2. See E. Mai, S. Paarlberg, G. Weber, De Kroon op het werk,Hollands schilderkunst 1670-1750 , exhibition catalogue, pp.254-7, cat. no. 72. Both works are signed, on copper, 43 x 32cm.3. See T. Beherman, Godfried Schalcken , Paris 1988, p. 376,cat. no. D10 (23 x 19,5 cm).

Lot 6001 Live! Auction in Chicago - 9/12/09 Approx. Selling Time: 12:21 PM Central * GIVA5 76/5966-29 GODFRIED SCHALCKEN (DUTCH 1643-1706) EXAMINING THE EGGS. Oil on panel, unsigned; Frame: 14.50" x 13.25" 8" x 6.75" $2,000/$4,000 Condition: No Specific Condition Recorded - Sold As Is Total Bids: 1