|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spaightwood Galleries
Old Master Drawings and Prints: Willem Buytewech (Rotterdam, 1591/92-1624): Grisaille
|
|
|
|
Although Willem Buytewech was born in Rotterdam in 1591/92 and died there in 1624, his work is is best seen with that of the younger artists working in Haarlem at the beginning of the 17th century (he was admitted to the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke in 1612). Maria van Berge-Gerbaud's article on Buytewech in the Grove Dictionary of Art, 5: 323-326, stresses his "highly praised versatility," which, she suggests, "emerges not only from his use of different techniques but also from his great range of subjects, especially in his drawings: religious and historical scenes, figures, interiors, scenes of everyday life, allegories, groups, architectural features, landscapes, designs for book illustrations, etc. Only a few works are dated, making it difficult to establish a chronological and stylistic development, especially as they were produced over such a short period" (p. 323). The most important critical study is Willem Buytewech 1591-1624 (Paris: Institut Néerlandais, 1974), the catalogue of a joint exhibition at the Museum Boysmans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam and the Institut Néerlandais in Paris, with an introductory essay by E. Haverkamp Begemann.
Select Bibliography: E. Haverkamp Begemann, Willem Buytewech (Amsterdam: Institut Néerlandais, 1959); J. GIltay et al; introduction by E. Haverkamp Begemann, Willem Buytewech 1591-1624 (Paris: Institut Néerlandais, 1974)
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Methuselah and his children (see (Jan Sadeler, TIB 7001.34, Holl. 1980 34). Grisaille on wood after an engraving by Jan Sadeler based on a drawing by Maarten de Vos, c. 1612-15. Although our piece is not done in one of his later styles, Haverkamp Begemann (1974) includes a 1615 drawing very reminiscent of Goltzius or Matham (Willem Buytewech 1591-1624, item 24, plate 46) and the commentary notes that familiarity with the works of 16th-century Northern European artists could have been expected at that time (e.g., Rudolph II’s fixation on Durer, the Lucas van Leyden revival in Goltzius’ circle). Given that the Wierix brothers made engravings after Durer's prints for their Master’s pieces, it seems possible that Buytewech made this for a similar purpose (which would suggest a date of c. 1612). Another possibility is that given the sheer number of drawings by Maarten de Vos (1531-1603) made for engravers and print publishers (c. 1600 engravings were made based upon his drawings), Buytewech could have been familiar with them in general and this one in particular and may have chosen it to advertise his familiarity with the traditions of late 16th-century Netherlandish art and his skill at working in different media; it could also have been a commission for a young artist just beginning a career that might have been useful from a financial point of view as well as showing his ability to meet a patron’s needs. If Buytewech was born in 1591, he was about 24-25 years old when he did the Goltzius-style “Homme en costume de fantasie”; if he was admitted master in 1612 (in Haarlem, where he had been living since 1611), he was then 21-22 and perhaps feeling a need to show his mastery of all of the recent Netherlandish styles. Buytewech's drawings were interesting enough that some of them were engraved by others (including C. van Kittensteyn, G. van Schneydel, and Jan II van de Velde) and collected by others including Rembrandt. Interestingly, his drawings make much higher prices at auction than his paintings (Christie's NY and London records 4 sales between 2002 and 2006 ranging from $94,973 (a small study of a man in the manner of Goltzius or Matham [Haverkamp Begemann plate 46]) to $420,000 (the two in the middle sold for $380,000 and $400,000), all of which were in one of his later styles and all of which were much smaller than ours. Condition: very good save for a small chip lower edge center; the wood has warped and it has been mounted on a wood cradle to prevent further warping and to stabilize it. Image size: 398x615mm (15-3/4x24-3/16 inches). Price: $150,000.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The work is signed with Buytewech's monogram, which is shown extensively in many of the works reproduced in Willem Buytewech 1591-1624, including in the illustration on the front cover.
|
|
|
|
Spaightwood Galleries, Inc.
To purchase, call us at 1-800-809-3343 (508-529-2511 in Upton MA & vicinity) or send an email to sptwd@verizon.net. We accept AmericanExpress, DiscoverCard, MasterCard, and Visa.
For directions and visiting information, please call. We are, of course, always available over the web and by telephone (see above for contact information). Click the following for links to past shows and artists. For a visual tour of the gallery, please click here. For information about Andy Weiner and Sonja Hansard-Weiner, please click here. For a list of special offers currently available, see Specials.
Visiting hours: Saturday and Sunday noon to 6 pm and other times by arrangement.
Please call to confirm your visit. Browsers and guests are welcome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
