Hollandse School (XVIII-XIX) - Zomer- en rivierlandschap met figuren (XL)

Extremely rare large pendant pair of watercolors by the Hague/Leiden master Albertus Jacobus Besters (1755-1819). These are not small sketches of 12x16 cm as typically found on the market, but two large salon watercolors with frame size 67.00 x 54.5 cm, inner size 54.00 x 42.00 cm, and the image size is 44.00 by 34.00 cm. Intended as a showpiece. As a pair numbered I and II on the original old labels and kept together for decades in a private collection in Friesland. I. Summer landscape with inn by the water. Idyllic scene with thatched inn, wooden footbridge, fisherman with a dog in the foreground, walkers along the water and a castle tower in the distance. Lively grouping with many figures, exactly what Besters was known for. II. River landscape with castle tower. Expansive river view with a round castle tower, sailing boat at the quay, rowing boats and hills in the distance. Magnificent cloudscapes in soft watercolor tones. Details: • Artist: Albertus Jacobus Besters (The Hague 1755 - Leiden 1819) - member of Pictura Den Haag 1782, winner of Silver Medal • Medium: watercolor / gouache on paper • Signature: bottom-right faintly with pencil "A Besters" - see detail photo • Image size: 44.00 x 34.00 cm per piece. • Frame size: 67.00 x 54.5 cm - old gilded wooden frames with black mat and gilded edge. • Back: original wooden panel, brown paper, cord, plus two old handwritten museum labels with biography and mention Boijmans Van Beuningen / Rijksprentenkabinet Leiden. • Condition: original state, sheet slightly warped, for no. I minor foxing / damp stains in the sky, otherwise fresh and strong in color. Frames with normal signs of use. * Rarity: Only 37 works by Besters are documented on Wikimedia / RKD. Almost always in small format. A large pendant pair with an image size of 44.00 x 34.00 cm in watercolor is extremely rare and very decorative. Works by Besters are housed, among others, in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam and the Rijksmuseum. Authenticity: 100% original watercolors, no print or reproduction. Brushstroke, paper texture and pencil signature clearly visible under magnification. A unique opportunity for the enthusiast of 18th / 19th-century Dutch topographical art. Will be carefully and well packed and insured for shipping..

Estimate:£296.52

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