Lot 86: ISAAK OUWATER

ISAAK OUWATER AMSTERDAM 1750 - 1793 AMSTERDAM: A VIEW OF THE WEESPERPLEIN WITH THE WEESPERPOORT , THE CORN MILL 'HET FORTUYN' ON THE FORTIFICATION WEESP IN THE BACKGROUND signed and dated lower left: J k : Ouwater Fecit 1777 oil on canvas 38.2 by 47 cm.

The majority of cityscapes that Ouwater painted were of his hometown Amsterdam, of which this painting is a fine and interesting example. Both its point of view –the cityscape is painted at eye level-, and its composition are original: the Weesperpoort which was more often depicted from the other side, is here taken from the west side of the Weesperplein. Behind the houses on the left, across the Baangracht, the mill 'het Fortuyn' can be seen. Behind the house on the corner on the right hand side, the former Carpenter's Yard was located. The Weesperpoort, built in 1663 after a design by Gerrit Barentsz. van Swanenburgh, who also designed the still existing Muiderpoort, was demolished in 1857 and today its location forms a busy traffic junction between the Weesperstraat and the Sarphatistraat.

The view is remarkably accurate, to which another view by Ouwater, also signed and dated 1777, attests: this view (fig. 1) was taken from the east side, from across the Nieuwe Achtergracht, and looks towards the Weesperpoort at the Weesperplein with the mill 'de Bul' in the background. It was sold, London, Sotheby's, 3 December 1969, lot 3.

We are grateful to Drs. Laurens Schoemaker, of the R.K.D., The Hague, for his help in cataloguing this lot.