Lot 146: Maerten de Cock (Antwerp 1578-1661 Augsburg)

Maerten de Cock (Antwerp 1578-1661 Augsburg) A river landscape with a distant castle with inscription 'glaudio coxanois' (verso) and with further inscriptions 'Martinus Kok Fect Omt: 1630' (on the mount) and 'Door Martinus Kok. omstreeks Ao. 1630.' (on a label attached to the mount) black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, brown ink framing lines, fragmentary watermark 4¼ x 6 7/8 in. (10.5 x 17.2 cm.); and a copy of the same composition executed circa 1700 by Abraham Rademaker (1676-1735)(pl.13) (2)

10.5 x 17.2 cm.

circa 1700

1.J. Noord Wijn [?] (according to I.Q. van Regteren Altena's inventory card). with Nicolaas Beets (1878-1963), Amsterdam; from whom purchased by I.Q. van Regteren Altena on 14 November 1927 for 10 guilders each (Inventory book: '352. t. M. Cock landschap. 353. t. A. Rademaker Copie n. vorige').

It has proved difficult to reconstruct the career of Maerten de Cock, since facts are in short supply and the only firm dates are provided by those he inscribed on his drawings. Thanks to these we know that he was in Copenhagen in 1625 and in London in July 1630, although he was presumably only making a short visit to the latter city, since during the same period he is known to have been living in Amsterdam. The Flemish character of his draughtsmanship, which suggests familiarity with the style of Paul Bril (1553/54-1626), may indicate that he moved to Amsterdam from the Spanish Netherlands, perhaps for religious reasons.