Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Peter Bolckman (Gorinchem, Netherlands, 1640 – Turin, 1710)
Fantastic view of a Mediterranean port with a market scene
oil on canvas 88 x 119 cm. Contemporary gilded and lacquered wooden frame, 99 x 131 cm.
Work accompanied by an expert report by Professor Camillo Manzitti
The painting, which stands out for its extraordinary narrative richness, depicts a lively genre scene set on the quay of a fictional Mediterranean port, framed on the left by imposing, ruined classical columns and opening in the background onto a bay crisscrossed by merchant ships and surrounded by fortifications and rocky hills.
The details that bring the scene to life are beautiful, from the seated woman nursing an infant next to a lavish still life of vegetables and greens, to the gentleman tasting an oyster just opened by the fisherman, to the livestock merchant displaying his animals, all meticulously rendered.
In the background, other secondary scenes unfold, depicting market activity and the comings and goings of figures in Eastern or monastic attire, players of “morra,” and boats moored near the pier.
Camillo Manzitti has attributed the painting to the catalog of the painter Peter Bolckman (Gorinchem, 1640 – Turin, 1710), a Dutchman by birth but active primarily in Italy during the second half of the 17th century—first in Rome, then in Genoa, and, beginning in 1679, in Turin.
The style in which the figures are rendered and the lively genre scenes perfectly express the master’s immediately recognizable style, which fascinatingly blends the Northern European painting tradition with 17th-century Italian genre painting.
In particular, Bolckman’s aesthetic stands out primarily for its lively, “playful,” anecdotal, and popular narrative style, brought to life by genre scenes in which the various characters are depicted with subtle wit and an eye for everyday life.
Returning to our painting, of particular beauty is the great precision and richness of detail with which the animal depictions are rendered, the beautiful and rustic still lifes displayed by the vegetable seller, and the figures, meticulously depicted and enjoyable in every detail.
Also evident is the influence of Pieter Mulier (known as Cavalier Tempesta), who, during Bolckman’s stay in Genoa, was likely his teacher, and this influence is evident in the distinctive landscape aesthetic, not to mention that Bolckman is responsible for interesting views of Genoa and Turin.
Pieter Mauritz Bolckman’s works are highly prized by collectors; those of high quality are in demand at Italian and international auctions and command very high prices.
A work similar to ours, both in style and compositional choices, was offered in 2010 at the Della Rocca Auction House in Turin (Pietro Maurizio Bolckman, Market Outside the City Gates, oil on canvas, 98x191 cm, Est.: €35,000–40,000).
See photographic details.
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
