Duck, Jacob A. (about 1600 Utrecht 1667) or Jan le Ducq (1629/30 The Hague 1676). The River Landscape with the Waiting Rider. This dominantly right in front, awaiting another one coming through the river. In small figure behind that a man wading up to his knees with a rod (lance?) in the right while pointing with the left at a swimming or floating little figure. On top of the rock dropping steeply to the opposite bank on the left a building with bulky round tower. A further building below on the bank far left. And to the right margin of the picture an ensemble of buildings with high tower with bulbous top, behind the river bending to the left, in the distance on a level with a mountain chain on this side navigated by a sailship. Etching. Sheet size 18 x 23.3 cm.

Hollstein, Duck, 9; Nagler, Monogramists, III, Ducq, 2184, no. 8; Wurzbach, Duck, 8; Davidsohn Catalogue I (1920), Ducq (“Debatable sheet … Very rare”), 1378. – Closing leaf of a 4-sheet set – the 3^rd, a riding school scenery at the pillar – , whose first two ones are by Roman de Hooghe (1645-1708) who also was connected with the whole set.

With the no. 4 below outside right in the white margin, yet barely with “In front in the centre of the grass ground, slightly to the left … letters I D f.” noticed by Nagler, in this regard also Wurzbach remarks “According to Nagler allegedly inscribed …”. Also Brulliot would have missed it, see below. – With nearly complete large watermark “Reared Lion in double lined Circle below Fleur-de-lis” with sword in the right and arrows in the left as variant to Heawood 3140-3145 (1651 till c. 1689) inclusive of the paddings in the circle, but without its escutcheon. – Lower right small oval collector’s stamp A (? Aretin? see below).

The brilliant impression from the J. H. Anderhub Collection. Did not figure, as further prints, too, in the 1963 book sale of the “Bibliotheca Hippologica I. H. Anderhub”. This by the way already as collecting follow-up generation. So on the original wrappers of the 1^st issue of his Bürde (Illustrations of excellent Horses …, 1820 ff.) beside of his exlibris of 1937 the double stamp of J. B. Anderhub.

With surrounding margin of 2-4 mm trimmed to platemark on three sides, above rather to the image border with, however, lots of white plate field. This outside left and centre with noticeable quite feeble touch of browning. Two fine vertical box pleats running through from the front worth mentioning above of horse + rider only. So, too, a light diagonal trace of fold in the lateral right white image field.

With great probability the different assumed creators are father + son, frequently confused or thought to be one person. Thematically the latter should take precedence since Bernt (1969/79), who carries the former only, sees the preferred soldier’s genre of this in both painting and drawing almost exclusively set in interiors. Yet he also mentions him expressly as etcher. But also the son especially classed with the animal and landscape subject devoted himself to military themes after he had entered as soldier the service of the General States where he was promoted captain. The creativeness in paintings mainly circulating as Dujardin was limited and gradually dried up. The engraver is documented by a charter of the guild in the Hague of June 17, 1662, allowing him the sale of his copper plates and etchings.

The latters Nagler repeatedly qualifies in the Monogramists dictionary as preciousnesses and here it is especially the “famous set of the hounds” from 1661 that figures in Weigel’s Art Stock Catalogue, division VIII, 1840, per 9135 as “Of greatest rarity” at the high price of 80 Thaler. In the Davidsohn Catalogue (I, 1376) in 1920 the 8 sheets in the second state only were estimated at 600 reichsmark. Yet the “Rider at the Riverside” as named there as single sheet – in brilliant quality of printing with margin each – at half of this, that is 300 reichsmark!

This to elucidate its preciousness. And in harmony with Nagler’s report from 1863 :

“ This wittily etched sheet Brulliot describes in the Aretin Catalogue no. 4401 with the remark that it were etched in le Ducq’s manner. He missed the (signature) letters,

yet  at  the  (1830)  sale  an  art  collector  paid

100  fl.  for  this  sheet .”

Offer no. 28,613 / EUR  498. / export price EUR  473. (c. US$ 658.) + shipping

“ I hereby confirm safe receipt of the two dias you so kindly sent us … Thank you so much for your kind help and splendid service ”

(Mrs. M. K., September 16, 2003)