Egbert van Heemskerk II

Essay:

Egbert van Heemskerk II was probably born in England. Details of his life are scarce but it seems likely that he spent his entire life in Britain. His father and teacher Heemskerk the Elder moved to London from Haarlem in the 1670s. He painted much in the manner of his father depicting taverns and boors laughing, drinking, and smoking. He also produced unusual and often satirical designs for prints which provide an interesting link between traditional Dutch/Flemish scenes of demons and monsters and early 18th century English satirical prints.

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Skittles was a popular subject amongst Dutch painters of the 1600s such as Jan Steen, David Teniers II, and particularly the Haarlem school to which Heemskerk's father belonged. Depicting the game allowed genre painters to transplant their typical tavern boors from dark smoky interiors and spread them out around more expansive innocuous settings. Outside at play the tavern scene is transformed into a landscape while retaining a sense of mischief and fun.

In the present picture we see male figures outside an inn with a woman standing in a doorway. A broad afternoon landscape spreads out with buildings in the distance. In the foreground is a bench with a jug of beer, a dog, and a man relieving himself against the wall. A painting titled 'Beim Kegelspiel' or 'At the Bowling Game' painted on canvas by Heemskerk the Elder (sold at Bangel, Frankfurt, 29 Nov. 1910, lot 85) may have been the prototype for the present painting. A work by David Teniers II dated c.1660 at LACMA, California (inv. no. 46.49.4) may also have been an inspiration, though as Heemskerk II spent most of his life in England he may not have seen it first-hand.

Provenance:

Private collection, Germany