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Lot 3313: SWEERTS, MICHIEL

Est: CHF 40,000 - CHF 60,000Sold:
Schuler AuktionenZurich, SwitzerlandDecember 13, 2019

Item Overview

Description

(Brüssel 1618–1664 Goa) Selbstportrait, lesend. Öl auf Leinwand. Verso Etikett des Museums Boymans, Rotterdam sowie dem Kunsthaus Zürich. 35,5x30,2 cm. - Geschnitten und doubliert, neuer Keilrahmen.

Artist or Maker

Notes

Provenienz: - Dr. Reber, Lausanne, auf dem Londoner Kunstmarkt erworben. - Manuel Gasser, Zürich (verst. 1979). - Heinrich Keller, Winterthur (verst. 1984). - Durch Erbschaft in heutigen Basler Privatbesitz. Ausstellung: - Kunsthaus, Zürich, Unbekannte Schönheit, bedeutende Werke aus 5 Jahrhunderten. Juni/Juli 1956, Nr. 252. - Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Michiel Sweerts en zijn Tijdgenoten, 1958/9, Kat.-Nr. 45. - Palazzo Venezia, Rom, Michiel Sweerts e i Bamboccianti, 1959, Nr. 46. Literatur: - Kultzen, Rolf. Michael Sweerts: 1624 – 1664, Diss., Hamburg 1954, Kat.-Nr. 70. - Gasser, Manuel. Das Selbstbildnis, Gemälde grosser Meister. München 1979, S. 96-97. - Kultzen, Rolf. Michael Sweerts. Brussels 1618 – Goa 1664. Gent 1996, Kat.-Nr. 91, Tafel 90, dort datiert in die Amsterdamer Jahre des Künstlers, um 1658. Bei diesem jüngst in einer Basler Privatsammlung wiederentdeckten Gemälde, welches seit der Ausstellung von 1959 in Rom nicht mehr der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich war, handelt es sich um ein qualitativ hochstehendes und intimes Selbstportrait, das die charakteristischen Merkmale des Malers, wie die stille Pose der Figur, die fast spirituelle Stimmung der Konzentration und die meisterhafte Beherrschung von Farbgebung und Lichteffekten aufzeigt. Das Gemälde erschien erstmals in den 1950er Jahren, wahrscheinlich bei Christie's in London, wo es von Dr. Reber, Lausanne, erworben wurde, wohl als ein Werk von Vermeer. Es ging später an den Zürcher Journalisten Manuel Gasser über, wo es von Rolf Kultzen gesehen wurde, der es als ein Werk von Sweerts erkannte. Kultzen nahm es in seine Dissertation auf und zeigte auf, wie die später hinzugefügten Initialen V.M. anlässlich einer Restaurierung in Winterthur wieder entfernt wurden. Es ist anzunehmen, dass Kultzen das Gemälde nie nach der Reinigung gesehen hat, da er in seiner Dissertation ausgiebig aus einem Brief des Eigentümers zitiert, der die speziellen Farbtöne von Grau, Braun und Blau beschreibt. In der Tat ist das Gemälde eine schöne Symphonie aus subtilen Tönen von Blau, Beigegrau und warmem Rot, wobei die Atmosphäre tiefer Konzentration durch das von oben einfallende Licht verstärkt wird. Während die Figuren in Sweerts Gemälden meist von Isolation geprägt sind, nimmt diese hier durch das Darstellen seiner selbst zusätzlich eine persönliche Note an. Während Kultzen das Gemälde in die Amsterdamer Jahre des Künstlers datiert und dieses mit der bevorstehenden Mitgliedschaft in der Société des missions étrangères in Verbindung bringt, spricht die grobe Struktur der Leinwand eher für eine Entstehung in Rom. Ein ähnlicher junger Mann ist dargestellt in «das Atelier eines Malers», um 1646/50, heute im Rijksmuseum und «Im Atelier» von 1652, heute im Detroit Institute of Arts. Im Detroiter Gemälde steht rechts im Bild ein Mann mit einer blauen Bluse. Auch zeichnen sich in beiden Werken die Figuren durch rötliches Inkarnat aus. Die koloristischen Qualitäten von Sweerts wurden oft mit denen von Johannes Vermeer in Verbindung gebracht, wobei Sweerts Kunst als Vorwegnahme Vermeers galt, insbesondere wenn es um die Verwendung der Farbe Blau ging. In Sweerts Gemälden wurde die blaue Farbe eindeutig dafür verwendet, die spirituelle Wirkung seiner Werke zu verstärken – so auch in der vorliegenden Arbeit, bei der der blaue Farbton der Bluse den Ausdruck des konzentrierten Aktes des Lesens noch verstärkt. Auf dem Gemälde eines Jungen mit einem Turban, heute im Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, Madrid, kommt der Einsatz von Blau zu seinem Höhepunkt, da dieser nun einen großen Teil der bemalten Fläche mit einem insgesamt verfremdenden Effekt ausfüllt. (vgl. Kultzen, op.cit., Kat-Nr. 122). Wir danken Marina Aarts für diesen Katalogeintrag.

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: American Express, MasterCard, Paypal, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Buyer Pays Shipping Costs. We do neither ship nor pack ourselves. For shipping quotes, please contact our partner YSDS (your special delivery service) directly, providing your lot number and the name of the auction house: art.zurich@ysds.com.

Auction Details

Terms

Buyer's Premium

25.0%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
CHF0CHF399CHF20
CHF400CHF999CHF50
CHF1,000CHF1,999CHF100
CHF2,000CHF3,999CHF200
CHF4,000CHF9,999CHF500
CHF10,000CHF19,999CHF1,000
CHF20,000CHF39,999CHF2,000
CHF40,000CHF99,999CHF5,000
CHF100,000CHF199,999CHF10,000
CHF200,000CHF399,999CHF20,000
CHF400,000CHF999,999CHF50,000
CHF1,000,000CHF1,999,999CHF100,000
CHF2,000,000+CHF200,000

Auction Terms

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1. The sale is made to the highest bidder. In case of contention about the acceptance of a bid, the official from the mayor's office has final decision.
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3. The auction takes place against immediate cash payment in Swiss currency or in Euro. In the event of a late settlement of the account, the buyer bears the cost of any exchange rate differences. For security and transparency reasons, invoice amounts above CHF 10'000.- must be paid by bank transfer. Your credit card may be charged for the full invoice amount plus fees from 4 days after an invoice has been sent. We do not accept cheques. For payments through PayPal or by credit card, a fee of 4% of the total amount will be charged. Objects purchased at auction will only be delivered to the buyer once payment in full (incl. VAT) has been made.
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No complaint will be accepted.

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No responsibility can be taken for storing the purchased objects. Any purchased item not collected within two weeks of the end of the auction will be stored with a storage warehouse, without prior notice and at the buyer's expense. In this case, the buyer can only collect the object after payment of the invoice and the storage fees.

9.
Bids in writing are treated on a first-in first served basis. The highest bid is successful and is executed at the lowest possible price, i.e. one bidding step above the second-highest bid. In the event of a tie bid in value, the earliest recorded bid is the successful bid.
Absentee bids sent directly to Schuler Auktionen will be privileged over online absentee bids of the same value.

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11. The above conditions are an integral part of each sales contract concluded at the auction. To be valid, amendments have to be made in writing.

12. The auction is held in cooperation with the Office of the Mayor of Zurich.

13. The Mayor of Zurich as well as the Canton and the Town of Zurich decline any responsibility for actions of the auctioneer. All parts of the relations between the parties are subjected to Swiss Law.
The place of fulfilment and the place of jurisdiction are Zurich.
SCHULER AUKTIONEN AG

Condition Reports

Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Schuler Auktionen is merely a subjective qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Shipping Terms

Buyer Pays Shipping Costs. We do neither ship nor pack ourselves. For shipping quotes, please contact our partner YSDS (your special delivery service) directly, providing your lot number and the name of the auction house: art.zurich@ysds.com.