Prince de Conti, Paris (according to the Schamp and Buisseret catalogues);
Johan Willem Lormier, Lord of Kethel & Spaland, former Burgomaster of Rotterdam;
His deceased sale, Rotterdam, Constant/Van Rijp, March 30, 1789, lot 1, for 236 Florins;
De Senave collection;
M. Schamp d'Aveschoot, Ghent, by 1834;
His sale, Ghent, Van Regermorter, September 14, 1840, lot 161 (apparently bought in for 4,600 Francs);
Baroness de Geus-Castelain, Château de Buisseret, Seneffe (bears her seal on the reverse);
Vicomte de Buisseret, Seneffe;
His sale, Brussels, Le Roy (bears his seal on the reverse), April 29, 1891, lot 9, for 3,400 Francs, to Colnaghi;
Baron de Croyer, by whom presented to the Bergmans family;
Ano🅺nymous sale ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Sotheby's, December 3, 1997, lot 49.

J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of The Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French Painters, London 1834, vol. V, p. 61, cat. no. 183;
C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century, London 1908, vol. IX, p. 177, cat. no. 441.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This panel is a single piece of reinforce oak. The paint layer is clean and varnished and in very healthy condition. The warmer tones in the foreground may be slightly more visible than they were originally, but very little if any retouching has been applied in the foreground. There are restorations visible under ultraviolet light only in a few spots in the sky addressing some tiny darker panel grains. Overall, the condition is excellent and the picture should be hung as is.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A prolific member of what is referred to as the second generation of Dutch Italianate landscape painters, there is, in fact, no archival evidence that supports Berchem's peregrinations to Italy.  However, given what appears to be a complete absorption of the light and atmosphere of the Roman campagna, especially in his mature work, there seems little doubt that he traveled there.  Hofstede de Groot notes that Berchem accompanied Jan Baptist Weenix in Rome in the 1640s and made another, more plausible, Italian sojourn in the early 1650s.  It is just as likely that Berchem synthesized the Italianate style through the indirect knowledge of prints, perhaps those of the Genoese artist Castiglione, who 🐓made a specialty of 𒉰the Pastoral Journey from the early 1630s onwards,  and the awareness of his compatriots' work, which was influenced heavily by the Italian ethos, particularly throughout Haarlem. 

This picture, si𒆙gned yet undated, as many of Berchem's paintings appear, betrays a rich and effusive light, a brown tonal yet light palette and fluid handling of paint, all most commonly associated with Italian pictures.  Here, a simple yet handsome river landscape, 🔯included amongst some rustic buildings, is populated by peasants and their cattle, donkeys, dogs and goat, allowing them a refreshing drink of water.