Offered by Costermans Antiquités
Old Masters paintings, 16th, 17th and 18th furnitures and works of art
Attributed to Abraham Govaerts (Antwerp, 1600 – Amsterdam, 1652)
‘Falcon Hunting’
Oil on panel; 58 x 89 cm.
Provenance:
Sale London, Christie's, 21 April 1989, no. 62A (as Johann Jacob Hartmann)
Sale Versailles, Me Perrin Royere Lajeunesse, 30.11.1997, no. 34 (Attributed to Govaerts) which mentions a variant, Christie's sale 15.12.1978, lot 23 (Govaerts).
Collection of Parisian antique dealer Michel Segoura, then by descent.
Another version of this composition was sold at Christie's London on 3 December 2008, lot no. 166.
Bibliography: Ursula Harding Kathleen Boms, Abraham Govaerts (1589-1626) der Waldmaler, p.62 rep. Fig. 50 (Like Hartmann)
Expertise: Certificate from the Turquin - Pinta - Motais expertise office on 11 February 2025.
This oil painting on panel by Abraham Govaerts in Antwerp in the seventeenth century depicts a forest landscape typical of the Flemish school, bathed in soft, golden light. The composition is carefully structured, following the Flemish tripartite tradition of tones: brown-ochre in the foreground, green in the middle, and blue-grey towards the background, creating an impression of depth and majestic calm.
On the right in the foreground, a river flows slowly between wooded, shady banks. The reflections of the sky and foliage in the calm water add a touch of poetry to the scene. In the distance beyond the river, a Flemish town can be glimpsed, identifiable by its roofs, pointed steeples and tall church towers.
On the left, on a tree-lined path bathed in light, an elegant couple is seated and engaged in what appears to be a gallant conversation: the man is wearing an elegant suit, while the lady is dressed in a silky royal blue gown with a wide lace collar. She is wearing an elegant hat with a feather. Their poised gestures and refined demeanour suggest that they belong to the aristocracy or the urban bourgeoisie.
Further ahead, a group of hunters are preparing for a falcon hunt. They are surrounded by a pack of dogs, depicted dynamically, some sitting, others sniffing the ground or barking. Four falcons, proudly perched on their perches, are rendered with detailed realism: their leather hoods add to the authenticity of the scene. The whole exudes an atmosphere of aristocratic leisure in an idealised natural setting.
The brushwork is fine and precise, characteristic of Govaerts, who was fond of animated compositions in wooded environments. Each element—trees, foliage, costumes, animals—is painted with a keen sense of detail, typical of Flemish art of the Golden Age.
