Anonymous sale ("From a Private Collection"), New York, Christie's, January 11, 1989, lot 26 (as by Sebastian Vrancx);
With Jack Kilgore, New York, from whom acquired by the present owner circa 1993.

J. Briels, Peintres flamands au berceau du Siècle d'Or hollandais, Antwerp 1997, p. 227, reproduced in color fig. 354.

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. Although this panel has been fairly recently restored, structurally it requires a new approach since the panel is currently quite unstable. There is an active break in the lower center running from left to right, further breaking in the upper join running through the sky and visible flaking in the upper right. In addition to this fresh paint loss, there is considerable retouching in the sky addressing old abrasion and staining. There is restoration addressing the old panel join running through the lower center which is still active, and while one expects some restoration in the sky of Northern paintings of this period, there is a considerable amount in this case. The darker colors of the foreground are in lovely condition however, this picture clearly requires a concerted effort from a panel restorer. If this were to be done, the painting could be properly restored and would remain stable for the future.
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.

The attribution to the rare artist Pieter Stalpaert, of whom very few works are known, was first proposed by Dr. Jan Briels in a written communication dated March 3, 1993. He considers the work to have been painted circa 1620. He later published it in his book, Peintres flamands au berceau du Siècle d'Or hollandais (see Literature).

Pieter Stalpaert was a 17th century Flemish landscape and seascape painter whose known oeuvre consists of four works, signed and dated 1612 (Douwes Fine Art, Amsterdam), 1617 (private collection), 1628 (Galerie Heide Hübner, Würzburg) and 1635 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam).

Stalpaert was born in Brussels in 1572, the son of a tapestry maker. He moved in 1588 with his family to Delft in Holland. It is certain that he worked in Dordrecht from 1597 to 1598 and from 1598 until his death in Amsterdam. He married twice and had a son named Daniël Stalpaert from his second marriage, born in 1615, a painter ♛and town architect in Amsterdam.

The composition of the present picture reflects the tradition of 17th century Flemish landscape painting, which is characterized by the division of nature into two distinct motifs. On one side the artist would place a hill with farms&n🤪bsp;under trees and on the other he would paint a steep valley with a river and a rolling terrain beyond. This form of landscape construction was practiced by artists such as Gillis van Conincxloo, Hans Bol and Gillis de Hondecoeter. The figures in the present painting are probably by another master's hand and relate most closely to those by David Vinckboons, Esaias van den Velde and Sebastian Vrancx. The coloration of the present work - wﷺith brownish-yellow foliage and greenish-blue hills highlighted with lively accents - adds to its beauty. The transparent blues that the artist uses to create the cloudy skies are typical of Stalpaert.