Lot 52: Melchior d'Hondecoeter (Utrecht 1636-1695 Amsterdam)

A Concert of Birds signed 'M.Hondecoeter' (on the music sheet) oil on canvas 441/2 x 49 in. (113 x 124 cm.) NOTES We are grateful to Mr. Fred Meijer of the RKD for confirming the attribution after inspection of the original. He believes the signature to be authentic but does not rule out the possibility of some studio assistance. The composition relates closely to two known autograph variants, both of which are similarly signed on the manuscript: the first one, a slightly larger picture sold, Sotheby's, New York, 1 June 1990, lot 113A ($165,000), differs in the inclusion of a number of birds, most prominently a dove flying in from the right. The other picture, which is closer to the present version, was last recorded in a collection in Leipzig, 1956 (RKD files). The most obvious difference in this case is the depiction of a magpie instead of the cockerell in the right foreground.