Fine Art

Van Ham sheds new light on Franz Roubaud’s complex oeuvre with three impressive new discoveries. The Russian painter is considered a master of intricate compositions that are marked by their clear divisions into several picture planes which send the viewer on a visual discovery tour. In the painting Circassian Cavalry Crossing the Course of a River Roubaud manages to depict dynamics, tension and spatial depth in a masterful way (estimate: €35,000–50,000). The work is a prime example of Roubaud’s complex compositional style: the group of horseback riders in the front has moved into the centre while the rows in the back gradually vanish in the scenery that forms the background. Roubaud lends the coastal painting Fishermen Hauling in Their Catch on the Black Sea Coast with its Mediterranean flair great vibrancy though the interplay of light and shadow (estimate: €30,000–40,000). With its bright and fresh colour range, this precise observation shows a rare peaceful motif in the artist’s oeuvre that demonstrates his versatility.

Its quiet, poetic visual language makes the small-scale, impressionistic watercolour Rural Scene with Horse-drawn Cart stand out from Roubaud’s monumental works (estimate: €800–1,000). The three paintings provide insight into Franz Roubaud’s wide artistic range: from dramatic historical paintings through to atmospheric observations of everyday life. All of them are new discoveries, thus significantly complementing Roubaud’s previously known oeuvre. They will be included in the digital supplementary volume of the catalogue raisonée published by Van Ham.

With its offering of five outstanding paintings Van Ham confirms its market-defining position in the sale of works by the eminent landscape painter Oswald Achenbach this Autumn. The Tomb of Caecilia Metella on the Via Appia near Rome brings one of the best-known sights of Rome into focus (estimate: €20,000–30,000). Achenbach lends the historic monument venerable presence. The dramatic sky, the warm colours in the foreground and the subtly differentiated details in the buildings reveal Achenbach’s mastery in combining architecture and landscape. The composition of Evening in the Campagna: Shepherds with Their Flock of Sheep near Roman Ruins achieves its ultimate effect through the contrast between the warm light of the dusk and the dark silhouettes of the ancient architecture (estimate: €20,000–30,000). The loose brushstrokes in the depiction of the dust whirled up by the herd are remarkable. Here Achenbach translated his fascination with southern Italy into an atmospheric, almost cinematic picture. Evening Atmosphere in the Albanian Mountains shows Achenbach’s well-known virtuosity in lighting design and his flair for rendering staffage in an impressive way (estimate: €15,000–20,000).

With the Horseback-riding Amazon by Franz von Stuck a key work of German sculpture from the turn of the 20^th century will also be called up (estimate: €25,000–35,000). The expressive bronze by the eminent symbolist complements the first-rate offerings of the Fine Art sale, showing their range and depth.

At the upcoming sale, the Fine Art department will also offer a perfectly exquisite selection of Old Masters from Italian Renaissance through to Baroque. An autograph painting by Giovanni Battista Salvi, known as Sassoferrato, depicting the praying Madonna – one of the artist’s iconic motifs – represents a significant new discovery on the international art market (estimate: €15,000–20,000). The work is a finely crafted variation of one of the most frequent themes in Sassoferrato’s oeuvre that is remarkable for its distinct artistic quality. Mary is clad in a bright blue garment, her gaze is lowered and her hands are folded in contemplative prayer. The way she is depicted embodies the devout beauty and inner purity for which Sassoferrato’s Madonnas are appreciated throughout the world. It is a version that was previously unknown and has now been identified as an autograph work by the master and recognized as a new discovery. The painting will be included in the catalogue raisonée to be published before long – an important step in the scholarly exploration of Sassoferrato’s oeuvre that clearly confirms its art historical significance. With this discovery Van Ham once more demonstrates its expertise in the field of Old Masters and its leading role in the new attributions of first-rate works and important rediscoveries on the German art market.

Another impressive lot is the outstanding Paradise Landscape with the Animals Entering Noah’s Ark by Jan Brueghel the Younger (estimate: €70,000–120,000). This large-scale painting is stunning for its dense composition which assembles a large number of animals, plants and people in lively harmony – a powerful depiction of paradisiacal diversity. It is probably the artist’s last great work. The renowned expert Dr. Klaus Ertz, who recently passed away, appraised the eminent painting in the original and confirmed its attribution.

Another highlight is the finely executed Still Life with Fruit by Cornelis de Heem, one of the most important painters of still lifes from the Golden Age (estimate: €20,000–30,000). The composition is remarkable for its bright colours, masterfully rendered light reflections on dew drops and its painstaking details. The renowned art historian Fred Meijer was recently able to date the work to around 1660, which now gives us a reliable art historical classification.

The Adoration of the Three Wise Men, which is ascribed to Adriaen Isebrandt, is from the same high-calibre collection as De Heem’s still life (estimate: €10,000–20,000). It is one of the rare panel paintings by this largely mysterious artist and constitutes an important testimony to Bruges painting around 1500. Isebrandt is considered one of the last representatives of the tradition of great Flemish painting, following in the footsteps of Hans Memling and Gerard David. 

The works of Cornelis de Heem and Adriaen Isebrandt are from a private collection which, after 20 years of building trust, has now been consigned to Van Ham for sale in its entirety. This long-standing relationship between the collector and our company not only reflects our personal bond but also the professional expertise and respectability with which Van Ham has handled collections of international standing for decades.