“ … yet (1830) an Art Collector
paid … 100 fl. for this Sheet ”
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; cat. Davidsohn I (1920), Ducq (“Debatable sheet … Very rare”), 1378. – Closing leaf of a 4-sheet set – the 3rd, 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 almost 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 1st 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.
The creators are two masters since old confused with and supposedly not related to each other, with Duck’s works mostly running under the name of le Ducq. Only Bode & Bredius succeeded with inscribed paintings in a solid separation in favor of the former. Bernt (1969/79) lists only this and mentions especially his preferred genre of soldiers in both painting and drawing, almost exclusively set in interiors. Nevertheless he mentions him expressly as etcher, too. But also le Ducq, foremost related to the animal and landscape subject, betook himself to military themes since he had entered the service of the States-General, where he advanced to captain. His artistic work, primarily circulating as Dujardin and gradually petering out, was limited. The engraver is documented by a certificate of the guild at The Hague of June 17, 1662, granting him the sale of his copper plates and etchings.
Nagler repeatedly qualifies the latter in the Monogramists dictionary as preciousnesses and here it is especially the “famous set of the hounds” from 1661 which figures in Weigel’s Art Stock Catalog, division VIII, 1840, per 9135 as “Of greatest rarity” at the high price of 80 Thaler. In the Davidsohn Catalog (I, 1376) in 1920 the 8 sheet in but the second state were estimated at 600 Reichsmark. Yet present “Rider at the Riverside” as single sheet – in brilliant print quality 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$ 644.) + shipping
„ als passionierte Reiterin sind Bilder Ridingers ein Muß! “
(Frau G. G., 9. Januar 2012)