Provenance
Averilla van Ryswick Lambert (1848-1918), Maryland, USA.
Wilton Lambert (1871-1935) and Elizabeth Gorman Lambert (1876-1959) (by descent from the above).
Private Collection, UK (by descent from the above).
Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 16 November 2005, lot 259.
With MacConnal-Mason Ltd., London .
Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 9 July 2019, lot 52.
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner.

Painted in 1840, during the artist's Hague period (1839-1845) when he really showed what he was capable of, this large panel is a spectacular example of the masterful chiaroscuro technique of Petrus van Schendel. Widely known for night time market scenes illuminated by candlelight, the artist has presented the viewer with a scene of the Noordermarkt in Amsterdam. Situated on the Prinsengracht, the Noordermarkt had been a flourishing market for food, textiles and other commodities since the early 17th century. The tower of the Noorderkirk completed in 1623 can be seen in the background. In a slight departure from his usual subject matter van Schendel has chosen to portray a street vendor offering cutlery, trinkets and other household objects. A woman is shown bargaining over a jewellery box while a young man examines other objects on offer. Throughout the composition various light sources illuminate the mass of people gathered at the market as the moon rises in the distance. A cheese stall can be seen on the right, the relaxed vendor enjoying his pipe as a bonneted woman considers the cheese laid out on the table. Here the direct light source is hidden from the viewer but still illuminates this part of the narrative.

We are grateful to Jan de Meere for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.

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- 19th Century & Orientalist Paintings