One “of the Most Excellent Netherlandish Masters”
Ducq, Jan le (1629/30 The Hague 1676). The Rider at the Pillar. To the left, supervised there by instructor with whip in the raised right. At the left margin of the picture small property, at the right overgrown large ruins, in front of it two men with dog observing the exercise. Etching. Sheet size 18.6 x 23.3 cm.
Sheet 3 of a 4-sheet-set
described neither in Nagler (1863) , Wurzbach (1906) nor Davidsohn (1920)
whose first two ones are by Roman de Hooghe (1645-1708) who also was connected with the whole set. The 4th sheet, The Waiting Rider at the River, in Nagler, Monogramists III, Ducq, at 2184, no. 8, in Wurzbach. Jakob Duck, per 8, and in cat. Davidsohn I, Ducq („Debatable sheet … Very rare“) per 1378 with remarkable estimate, see below.
With the no. 3 below outside right in the white margin. – 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, H?).
The excellent impression from the J. H. Anderhub Collection
not figuring, 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.
Trimmed to platemark with 2-4 mm surrounding margin and above lots of white plate field. Fine vertical box pleat running through only noticeable above and below rider + horse resp.
By the same hand as the thought sheet 4 assigned already in 1863 by Nagler to the painter + etcher le Ducq, pupil of Paulus Potter and foremost related to the animal and landscape subject, as one “of the most excellent Netherlandish masters”, the confusion continues with the Utrecht genre painter and etcher of soldier interiors Jacob Duck (about 1600 – 1667; from about 1660 to 1661 in The Hague), whose works run, so Thieme-Becker, since the 18th century indeed mostly under le Ducq’s name, just as the latter’s paintings on their part circulated as Dujardins in consequence of stylistical relationship. The confusion of both promoted not least by le Ducq’s additionally military themes, too, since he had joined as soldier the States-General where he had been promoted captain. Gradually being exhausted his “quite rare” (Thieme-Becker) painted work kept within bounds. The engraver is documented by a certificate of the Hague Guild of 17th June 1662 granting him the sale of his copper-plates and etchings.
Nagler repeatedly qualifies the latter 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 the “Rider at the Riverside” mentioned above as single sheet at half of this, that is 300 Reichsmark!
This to elucidate the preciousness of le Ducq’s sheets. In harmony, too, with Nagler’s report of 1863 in regard of the riverside rider :
„ 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 sale an art collector paid 100 fl. for this sheet.“
The present sheet, however, it may be repeated, lay before neither Nagler nor Wurzbach and was missing in the legendary Davidsohn Collection, too.
The rareness of the sheet here in such a way superb !
Offer no. 28,977 / EUR 630. / export price EUR 599. (c. US$ 806.) + shipping
“ Sir, yes, (the Rubens) is closer to the one in London (recte Dresden), but the one we have is on copper. Thank you for your time. Highest regards, D… A… (and yes America could use a blessing about now) ”
(Mr. D. A., November 4, 2003)