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Description:
Gerardus Laurentius Keultjes (Dutch, 1786-c. 1818)
Dutch Vessels at Sea
Signed "G.L. Keultjes f." l.r., inscribed in Dutch on an older label affixed to the reverse, inscribed with the artist's name and dates in a later hand on the reverse, identified on a modern label affixed to the reverse.
Oil on panel, 10 1/8 x 12 1/8 in., framed.
Condition: Crack to panel across l.r. corner, surface cracks from a knot in the panel c.r., retouch primarily to the sky, paint losses and abrasions, drying cracks, fine craquelure, staining.
N.B. Keultjes was draftsman with a team of naturalists on an ill-fated Dutch East India Company expedition to Java in 1820. Three of the team members, including Keultjes, passed away during the trip. The approximately 1,200 drawings he made during the expedition were sent to the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, but were unfortunately lost in a fire while in possession of the museum.
Estimate $400-600
Signature is hidden beneath the lip of the frame. Two abraded red wax seal remnants on the reverse.
The Dutch label is shaped like a shield, and the writing is very hard to make out, but one may discern the work "Schip" and, perhaps, the proper name "Juger."
Framed dimensions are 13 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches.
Items may have wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Stephen L. Fletcher
Partner/Executive Vice President and Chief Auctioneer
Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts
508-970-3000
Christopher D. Fox
Vice President
Director, Historic Arms & Militaria
Associate Deputy Director, American Furniture & Decorative Arts
508-970-3200
Paul O’Hara
Business Administrator, American Furniture & Decorative Arts
508-970-3224
American Furniture & Decorative Arts
From the heart of New England, the American Furniture & Decorative Arts department regularly uncovers treasures with rich and enduring history and hosts auctions to world-wide renown.