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Details
- Other Title
- Italianate landscape with shepherd and peasant woman
- Alternative title
- La fraîche matinée
- Date
- 1657
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 52.0 x 47.0 cm canvas; 69.0 x 63.0 x 5.0 cm frame
- Signature & date
Signed lower left, in black oil "K. DV. JARDIN fc [...] [N in reverse. Date indecipherable].
- Credit
- Gift of the Bruce and Joy Reid Foundation 2020
- Location
- South Building, ground level, Grand Courts
- Accession number
- 157.2020
- Copyright
- Artist information
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Karel Dujardin
Works in the collection
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About
According to the biographer Arnold Houbraken, Karel Dujardin was a pupil of Nicolaes Berchem, although it has more recently been argued that a distant cousin, Pieter Nason might have been his teacher. For most of his life, Dujardin lived and worked in Amsterdam, with stays in The Hague between 1655–56 and 1658–59. It is probable that he visited Paris and Lyon in 1650–51. He finally travelled to Italy via Tangiers in 1675, after decades painting Italian scenes from his imagination. In Rome, Dujardin became a member of the Dutch artists’ group the 'Bentvueghels' (birds of a feather), which gave him his nickname of 'Bokkebaert' (goatee). Numerous works attest to Dujardin’s productivity in Rome, where he painted his last known work in 1678, before moving to Venice where he died later that year. Besides the Italianate landscapes for which he is best known, Dujardin produced many history paintings, genre scenes, animal pieces and portraits. He was also a prolific draughtsman and etcher.
When he was living in The Hague, Dujardin painted several Italianate landscapes, influenced by Claude Lorrain’s idealised pastoral imagery, which emanate an extraordinary sense of tranquillity. Such works were appreciated and sought after by cosmopolitan Dutch collectors for their associations with rural retreat and the sunshine and warmth of the south. 'A fresh morning' shows a shepherd and shepherdess talking at the edge of a small stream. Their animals – a donkey, cow, goat and sheep – have finished drinking and stand warming themselves in the morning sun, whose light streams almost horizontally from the left. In the middle distance there is a walled villa, and farther back a high mountain, rising into the clouds.
The influence of Nicolaes Berchem is apparent in the figure of the seated shepherd, seen from the back, which appears to be adapted from a black chalk drawing by Berchem in the Albertina, Vienna. There is also a visible alteration (pentimenti) to the hat of the shepherd. What now appears as a black felt hat shows signs of having been originally a red cap.
Although today Dujardin’s star has faded somewhat, in the 19th century he was one of the most popular and collected artists. 'A fresh morning' is extensively documented and has an interesting provenance, which includes an impressive list of 18th– and 19th–century French, Dutch and English collectors. In the late 18th century the painting hung alongside masterpieces by Vermeer and Hals in Amsterdam, and later entered the collection of Alfred de Rothschild. In the early 20th century the painting was at Highclere Castle (location of the TV series ‘Downton Abbey’). It was sold by the Countess of Carnarvon in 1925 to help finance excavations in Egypt – led by her husband, Lord Carnarvon – to unearth Tutankhamun’s tomb. -
Exhibition history
Shown in 9 exhibitions
The Summer Exhibition of the works of ancient masters and deceased British artists, British Institution, London, Jun 1852–Jun 1852
Exhibition of Dutch and Flemish masters, Eugene Slatter Gallery, London, May 1944–Jun 1944
Dutch pictures 1450–1750, Winter exhibition, 1952–3, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 22 Nov 1952–01 Mar 1953
Ideal and classical landscape, National Museum and Gallery, Cardiff, United Kingdom, 06 Feb 1960–03 Apr 1960
Nederlandse 17e eeuwse Italianiserende landschapschilders, Centraal Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 10 Mar 1965–30 May 1965
Paintings and drawings from Agnew's London, David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Sydney, 07 Oct 1970–24 Oct 1970
The golden age of Dutch art: seventeenth century paintings from the Rijksmuseum and Australian collections, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 23 Oct 1997–11 Jan 1998
The golden age of Dutch art: seventeenth century paintings from the Rijksmuseum and Australian collections, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 23 Jan 1998–15 Mar 1998
The golden age of Dutch art: seventeenth century paintings from the Rijksmuseum and Australian collections, Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane, 28 Mar 1998–29 May 1998
Rembrandt and the Dutch golden age: masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 11 Nov 2017–18 Feb 2018
Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023
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Bibliography
Referenced in 32 publications
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Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales annual report 1998, Sydney, 1998, p 51.
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Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales annual report 2012–13, Sydney, 2013, p 100.
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Philip J Barlow, Ideal and classical landscape, Cardiff, 1962, p 21, no 38.
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Charles Blanc, Histoire des peintres de toutes les écoles : école hollandaise, Tome second, Paris, 1883, pp [1-16] [153–68], engrav. illus p [5] [157].
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Charles Blanc, Le trésor de la curiosité, tiré des catalogues de vente…Tome premier, Paris, 1857, p 461.
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Albert Blankert, Nederlandse 17e eeuwse Italianiserende landschapschilders, Utrecht, 1965, pp 201–02, no 121.
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Ernst Brochhagen, Karel Dujardin; ein Beitrag zum Italianismus in Holland im 17. Jahrhundert, diss., University of Cologne, Cologne, 1958, 43.
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auction. The Clewer Manor Collection', The Morning Post, no 32422, 'Sales, London, 29 May 1876, p 8.
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Sir Charles Davis (Compilator), A description of the works of art forming the collection of Alfred de Rothschild, volume 1, pictures, London, 1884, np, no 18, illus np.
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Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und kritisches Verzeichnis der Werke der hervorragendsten holländischen Maler des XVII. Jahrhunderts, vol 9, 1926, p 344, no 190. No.190
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Algernon Graves, Art sales from early in the eighteenth century to early in the twentieth century (mostly old master and early English paintings), 3 vols, London, 1918-1921, vol 1, 1918, pp 240–41.
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John Smith, A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters. Part the fifth, containing the lives and works of Nicholas Berghem, Paul Potter, Adrian vander Velde, Karel du Jardin, Albert Cuyp, John vander Heyden, London, 1834, pp 244–45, no 36.
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Jennifer Kilian, The paintings of Karel du Jardin 1626–1678: catalogue raisonné, Amsterdam, 2005, pp 81–82, 153–54, no 40, illus p 341, pl 33.
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Barbara Lasic, Furniture History, vol 40, ‘A display of opulence: Alfred de Rothschild and the visual recording of Halton House’, London, 2004, pp 135–50, illus in situ p 142.
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Norbert Middlekoop, The golden age of Dutch art: seventeenth century paintings from the Rijksmuseum and Australian collections, Perth, 1997, p 48, no 12, col illus p 49. as 'Italianate landscape with peasants and cattle'.
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Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Trustees' minute 24 March 1972, Sydney, 24 Mar 1972, pp 5–6.
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Gustav Frederich Waagen, Treasures of art in Great Britain, being an account of the chief collections of paintings, drawings, sculptures, illuminated mss., etc, 3 vols, vol 2, London, 1854, p 452.
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M Watelet and M Lévesque, Dictionnaire des arts de peinture, sculpture et gravure, tome quatrième, Paris, 1792, p 514.
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Dutch pictures 1450–1750, Winter exhibition, 1952–3, London, 1952, p 86, no 457. as 'Landscape with shepherd and peasant woman'.
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Catalogue d’une belle collection de tableaux originaux de grands maîtres des différentes écoles… qui composent le cabinet de M.*** [Trouard] …, Paris, 22 Feb 1779-27 Feb 1779, pp 28–29, no 113.
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Catalogue d’une riche collection de tableaux des peintres les plus célèbres des différentes écoles… qui composent le cabinet de M.*** [Gevigney, abbé de] …, Paris, 01 Dec 1779-29 Dec 1779, p 101, no 387.
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The Morning Post, no 32428, 'The Clewer Manor Collection', London, 05 Jun 1876, p 7.
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Catalogus van het kabinet van schilderyen, nagelaaten door den kunstminnaar Jan Gildemeester Jansz.,…, Amsterdam, 11 Jun 1800, p 51, no 105.
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A catalogue of the entire collection of capital pictures, the property of John Maitland, Esq., deceased, removed from Woodford Hall, Essex… from the following cabinets – The Halifax, Holderness, The Orleans, Le Brun, Geldermeester,…, London, 30 Jul 1831, p 8, no 91.
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Catalogue of pictures by Italian, Spanish, Flemish, Dutch, French and English masters, with which the proprietors have favoured the institution, London, 1852, p 8, no 13. as 'La Fraîche Matinée, Karl du Jardin, Edmund Foster, Esq.'
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Catalogue of the very choice collection of old Dutch and Flemish pictures, formed many years ago, with rare taste and judgment, by Richard Foster, Esq., deceased, late of Clewer Manor…, 03 Jun 1876, p 5, no 8.
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Catalogue of important pictures & drawings by old masters, the property of the Right Hon. Almina Countess of Carnarvon (to whom they were bequeathed by the late Alfred de Rothschild, Esq.) and removed from 1 Seamore Place, W. …, London, 22 May 1925, p 16, no 75. as 'A woman with cattle passing a ford'.
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The Times, no 43969, 'The Carnarvon pictures', London, 23 May 1925, p 11.
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Paintings and drawings from Agnew's, London, Sydney, 1970, p [12], no 13.
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Sunday Telegraph, Sydney, 18 Oct 1970, p 97.
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Report of the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, report covering the period January–December 1972, Sydney, 1973, p 19.
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Mercure de France, 'Arts. Gravures. I.1.', Paris, Feb 1774, pp 181–82.
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Provenance
Louis-François Trouard, pre Feb 1774-22 Feb 1779, Paris/France, Dedicated engraving by Jean-Philippe Le Bas, cited in the Mercure de France, Feb 1774. Trouard may have purchased the painting while at the French Academy, Rome, 1754–57. His sale, A J Paillet & Maître Chariot, Paris, 22–27 Feb 1779, no 113. Purchased at this sale by Abbé Jean-Baptiste Guillaume de Gevigney (Besançon 20 Jan 1729– 08 Sep 1802 Dijon), Paris, 22–27 Feb 1779 for 2,000 francs.
Jean-Baptiste Guillaume de Gevigney, 22 Feb 1779-01 Dec 1779, Paris/France, His sale, A J Paillet, Paris, 1–29 Dec 1779, no 387. Purchased at this sale by ‘Marié’, Paris, 1–29 Dec 1779 for 2,550 francs.
Jan Gildermeester Jansz., post 01 Dec 1779-11 Jun 1800, Amsterdam/The Netherlands, Purchased probably through ‘Marié’ [dealer or agent?] by Jan Gildemeester Jansz. (Lisbon 1744 – 1799 Amsterdam) [Dutch art collector. By his death in 1799 he had built up a collection of over 300 paintings, including Frans Hals’ Laughing cavalier, Vermeer’s The astronomer, Asselijn’s The threatened swan], after 1–29 Dec 1779, circa 1780. His sale, Van der Schley & Pruyssenaar, Amsterdam, 11–13 June 1800, no 105. Purchased at this sale by Wessel Rijers (1737–1814) [dealer], Amsterdam, 11–13 June 1800 for 1,500 florins.
Wessel Reyers, 11 Jun 1800, Amsterdam/The Netherlands, Purchased probably through the art dealer Wessel Rijers by John Maitland (England c1754 – 1831 Woodford Hall, Essex) [English politician & collector], circa June 1800
John Maitland, post 11 Jun 1800-30 Jul 1831, London/England, His sale, Christie’s, London, 30 July 1831, no 91. Purchased at this sale by Samuel Woodburn (England, 1780– 20 April 1853), [art dealer and expert of old master drawings], London, 30 July 1831 for £342.6s.
Samuel Woodburn, 30 Jul 1831, London/England, Purchased, probably through Samuel Woodburn, by Edmund Foster (England, died in 1862) London, circa 1831 and by 1834 [see ref Smith 1834, ‘now in the Richard Foster collection’], and in Clewer Park, Windsor, Berkshire by 1854 [see ref Waagen 1854].
Edmund Foster, post 30 Jul 1831-1862, London/England, By descent to his son Edmund Benson Foster (Clewer, Windsor 1826 – 1 Nov 1917?), Clewer Manor; Windsor, Berkshire, 1862–76.
Edmund Benson Foster, 1862-03 Jun 1876, Clewer/Berkshire/England, Collection of the late Richard Foster sale, Christie’s, London, 3 June 1876, no 8 [Richard Foster had died in 1830 but the Dujardin was purchased after July 1831]. Purchased at this sale by Charles Davis (1849 – 23 May 1914) [art dealer, 147 New Bond Street, London, one of the most well-known antique dealers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He counted the Rothschild family and King Edward VII among his clients], London, 3 June 1876, for £735.
Charles Davis, 03 Jun 1876, London/England, Purchased probably through the art dealer Charles Davis [who compiled the 1884 cat of A. de Rothschild collection) by Alfred de Rothschild (England, 20 July 1842 – 31 Jan 1918 London), 1 Seamore Place, London, circa June 1876 and by July 1884 [see ref 1884 Davis cat]
Alfred de Rothschild, post 03 Jun 1876-31 Jan 1918, London/England, Bequeathed to Almina, 5th Countess of Carnarvon (Paris 15 Aug 1876 – Highclere Castle 8 May 1969), Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England [location of the TV series Downton Abbey], 31 Jan 1918 [Born Almina Wombwell, she may have been Alfred de Rothschild’s illegitimate daughter. Her husband the Earl of Carnarvon became the financial backer of the search for Tutankhamun’s tomb, assisted by Almina’s wealth. She continued to provide financial support for Carter’s excavation of the tomb until 1925, when she reached a settlement with the Egyptian authorities whereby she gave up any claim on the contents of the tomb in return for £36,000 compensation: The proceeds of the 1925 sale she made helped finance the excavations carried out by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in Egypt at which Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered.
Almina, 5th Countess of Carnavon, 31 Jan 1918-22 May 1925, Highclere Castle/Hampshire/England, Her sale, Christie’s London, 22 May 1925, no 75. Purchased at this sale by Tancred Borenius (Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland 14 July 1885 – 2 Sep 1948 Coombe Bisset, England) [Finnish art historian working in England, leading expert on Italian art of the early Renaissance. Consultant at Sotheby’s & & art advisor], London, 22 May 1925 for 200 guineas.
Tancred Borenius, 22 May 1925, London/England, Maybe purchased through Tancred Borenius by Princess Obolensky, circa 1925 [see 1960 Cardiff exh cat, 1965 Utrecht exh cat, 2005 Cat raisonné] [Ava Alice Muriel Astor, New York 7 July 1902 – 19 July 1956 New York. She married Prince Sergei Platonovich “Serge” Obolensky, in London on 24 July 1924 and divorced in 1932. Socialite, patron of the arts].
Princess Obolensky, post 22 May 1925-pre May 1944, London/England, With Eugene Slatter [dealer], London, May 1944, from whom (?) acquired by Percy B Meyer
Percy B Meyer, post May 1944-1955, London/England, Acquired through Eugene Slatter (?), London, by Percy Barrington Meyer (London 18 Dec 1884 – 1955 London), London, 49 Orchard Court, Portman Square, London WI, by 1952 [see 1952 RA exh cat]. By descent to his son Peter B Meyer (London, 18 Sep 1916 – died ?), London, 1955.
Peter B Meyer, 1955-02 Jan 1970, London/England, Purchased by Agnew’s, London [dealer, label on reverse ‘Agnew’s & Sons, 43 Old Bond Street, Piccadilly, no 32589’] on 2 Jan 1970 for £4500.
Agnew's, London, 02 Jan 1970-02 Dec 1970, London/England, Exported to Australia for sale, David Jones, Sydney, Oct 1970, from whom acquired by John Brackenreg (1905–86), Sydney, 2 Dec 1970 [dealer, Artarman Galleries’ founding director] for $22,126. Purchased through John Brackenreg by Bruce Reid (Sydney 1922 – 2005 Sydney) and the Minnamurra Foundation, Sydney, by 10 Dec 1972.
Minnamurra Foundation, 10 Dec 1970-1983, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, On loan to the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, from 24 March 1972. ‘In accordance with the resolution of the Foundation at their meeting in Sydney on 14 December 1970'
Bruce and Joy Reid Foundation, 1983-13 Oct 2020, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, In 1983 the Minnamurra foundation became the Bruce and Joy Reid Foundation. Gift to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 October 2020.
