Peter Bolckman, View of a Mediterranean Port Landscape, 1680, Oil on Canvas

Details

Description

Peter bolckman (gorinchem, netherlands 1640 – turin 1710)

fantastic view of a mediterranean port with a market scene

oil on … Read more 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 wood frame 99 x 131 cm)

critical appraisal: expertise by professor camillo manzitti

the painting, distinguished by its extraordinary narrative richness, depicts a lively genre scene set on the quayside of a fictional mediterranean port, framed on the left by imposing ruined classical columns and opening in the background onto a marine bay crisscrossed by merchant vessels and surrounded by fortifications and rocky hills.

the scene is enlivened by beautiful details, from the seated woman breastfeeding a newborn baby next to a rich still life of greens and vegetables, to the gentleman tasting an oyster just opened by the fisherman, to the livestock dealer displaying his carefully depicted animals. In the background, other secondary market and transit scenes unfold, including figures in oriental or monastic robes, morra players, and boats moored near the pier.

the painting has been traced by camillo manzitti to the work of the painter peter bolckman (gorinchem, 1640 - turin, 1710), dutch by birth but active primarily in italy during the second half of the 17th century, first in rome, then in genoa, and, from 1679, in turin.

the style of the characters and the evocative genre scenes perfectly express the master's instantly recognizable style, which fascinatingly blends the northern european pictorial tradition with 17th-century italian genre painting.

in particular, bolckman's aesthetic is distinguished primarily by a lively, childlike narrative, anecdotal and popular, enlivened by genre scenes where the various characters are depicted with subtle wit and attention to everyday life.

returning to our canvas, the great precision and wealth of detail with which the animal depictions are rendered, the beautiful and rustic still lifes displayed by the vegetable vendor, and the minutely depicted and enjoyable silhouettes of the characters are particularly beautiful.

the influence of pieter mulier (known as cavalier tempesta), who was likely bolckman's teacher during bolckman's stay in genoa, is also evident. This influence is evident in the distinctive landscape aesthetic, not forgetting that bolckman is responsible for interesting views of genoa and turin.

the works of pieter mauritz bolckman are highly prized by collectors, especially if they are of high quality, and are sought after at italian and international auctions, commanding 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, mercato fuori porta, oil on canvas, 98 x 191 cm, value: €35,000/40,000). See photographic details.

additional information:

good condition. With antique frame (good condition, defects and small losses).

the work is sold complete with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic . This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less