Sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 1972;
With Koetser, Zurich;
With Galleria Cesare Lampronti, Rome;
From whom acquired in 2004.

A. Busiri Vici, Jan Frans Van Bloemen Orizzonte e l'origine del paesaggio romano nel Settecento. Rome 1974, n. p., cat. no.  243, and p. 225.

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 work has an English glue lining that is stabilizing the paint layer and providing a good surface. The painting is probably slightly dirty at present with a yellowed varnish, but it is certainly attractive as is. There does not seem to have been any weakening of the palette and the colors remain very vibrant. Under ultraviolet light, one can see the odd isolated retouch in the sky. There are no retouches of any note at all within the trees or the landscape beneath. Not visible under ultraviolet light, but visible to the naked eye, is what appears to be a fairly complex group of restorations in the center of the sky. If the work were cleaned, these retouches would be removed. The work could easily be hung in its current condition, which is generally good.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This large, signed canvas is a typical mature work by the Flemish-born Van Bloemen, who specialized in classicizing landscapes in the manner of Gaspard Dughet with capriccio views of Rome. Van Bloemen spent the majority of his life in Rome, earning the nickname "Orizzonte" on account of his paintings, and was considered among the finest landscape painters of his generation, often collaborating with Italian artists such as Pompeo Batoni and Carlo Maratta. A similar signed view is in the Federconsorzi collection in Palazzo Pallavicini, Rome.¹ The godfather to Van Bloemen's first child was none other than Vanvitelli (see lots 311, 315 and 324).

The unusual signature, E.S. 84, stands for "aetatis suae 84," provid🔯ing us with the artist's age when he painᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚted the work in 1746/7. 

1. See Busiri Vici, under Literature, caꦿt. no. 241, reproduced.