2726 - Velde Esaias van de

Velde Esaias van de c. 1590 Amsterdam – 1630 The Hague The Hay Wagon (Summer). 1618 Oil on oak Signed and dated lower left: E. v. Velde 1618 Framed Height Ø 17 cm J. M. Heberle (H. Lempertz’s Sons), Painting Collection of Retired Mr. Edward Habich of Kassel, Kassel, May 9–10, 1892, Lot 152; Max Wassermann Collection (1856–1926), Paris (seal on the reverse); bequeathed to his widow, Léonore Wassermann; transferred to Hermann Göring by Reichsleiter Rosenberg’s task force, 1941; Christie’s, New York, June 5, 1980, Lot 113; David Koetser Gallery, Zurich, 1982; private collection, Switzerland Alfred Woltmann/Carl Wörmann, History of Painting, Vol. 3.2, Leipzig 1888, p. 622; Alfred von Wurzbach, *Dutch Artists’ Lexicon*, Vol. 2, Vienna/Leipzig 1910, p. 751; George Keyes, *Esaias van den Velde*, Doornspijk 1984, p. 162, No. 162 (with illustration No. 118) This painting is registered with the RKD in The Hague as an authentic work by Esaias van de Velde (Archive No. 681070). Esaias van de Velde is considered one of the pioneers of early 17th-century Dutch landscape and genre painting and is a major representative of the Haarlem school of painting. He combined everyday scenes of peasant life with atmospheric effect and narrative vitality. His work marks the transition from an older, more contrived approach to painting to a more immediate, naturalistic style in which rural life and the characteristic features of the Dutch landscape take center stage. The circular painting depicts an idyllic scene during the hay harvest. On the left, a team of two horses pulls a wagon piled high with an almost oversized bale of hay. A mighty old oak tree frames the scene, lending it both shelter and spatial depth. From there, the view extends along a meandering road where several people are approaching the village. Its striking church tower and a ruin stand out in the distance, providing the landscape with a distinctive point of reference. On the right, a couple wearing wide-brimmed straw hats has settled down. They are evidently taking a break after a day’s work; behind them, carefully stacked haystacks can be seen. In the foreground, a dog is coming toward us. It establishes a direct connection between the depicted world and the viewer, who feels, as it were, invited to step into the picture. It is precisely in this small detail that the narrative quality of the composition becomes apparent: the landscape does not appear as a distant backdrop, but as a lively, familiar living space. Against the backdrop of the summery atmosphere, Van de Velde weaves the individual figures and motifs into a harmonious, spatially convincing whole. The road draws the eye into the depth of the scene, while the oak tree on the left and the haystacks on the right balance the composition. The round picture format reinforces the enclosed, almost stage-like character without detracting from the composition’s liveliness. The painting has a companion piece depicting a winter scene with ice skaters and a farmhouse. The two works illustrate the changing seasons and the rhythm of rural life. The winter scene was auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York in 2019. The painting once belonged to the important collection of Max Wassermann (1856–1926), a collector originally from Kassel who later settled in Paris, which included numerous high-quality works of older European painting. The consignor of this work has reached an amicable agreement with the community of heirs of Max Wassermann in accordance with the Washington Principles. Consequently, there are no longer any claims on the part of the descendants. Auction Date: November 28, 2026 Approximate Auction Time: 10:09 a.m. CET