Roelandt SAVERY (Courtrai 1576 - Utrecht 1639) - Lot 27

Roelandt SAVERY (Courtrai 1576 - Utrecht 1639) View of a street in Prague, c.1608. Watercolor, pen and brown ink. 9.2 x 13.3 cm. Small tears in the upper left and lower left corners. Slightly oiled, small stains. Annotated lower left "R.Savery" Painter and draughtsman of Flemish origin, Roelandt Savery began his apprenticeship with his elder brother Jacob Savery, before training with Hans Bol. Like other Flemish painters such as David Vinckeboons and Gilles van Coninxloo, he found refuge in the Northern Netherlands for religious reasons. Around 1604, he was called to Prague by Emperor Rudolf II, where he remained until 1612. The city and its park with its exotic animals provided him with subjects for observation that he used throughout his life. Numerous interior views of Prague, drawn on the spot, constitute a fascinating snapshot of the city in the early 17th century. He even used certain views as backdrops for painted compositions. Drawn around 1608, our view of Prague is similar to two drawings representing interior views of the city of Prague, of similar technique and size, preserved in Dordrecht, Huis Van Gijn, Collection Atlas van Gijn (Joaneath Ann Spicer-Durham, The drawings of Roelandt Savery, Yale University, PH.D 1979, C76 F76 and C77 F77 pp. 475-478, inv.VG8302a and VG8302b). Expert : Cabinet de BAYSER.