(Enkhuizen 1607/08–1670/90)
A Dutch Man O’War and other ships in rough seas,
oil on panel, 76 x 117.5 cm, framed

THIS LOT IS PART OF THE RIMPAU-LANGENSTEIN COLLECTION
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Provenance:
Collection of Maria Antonia Pessina de Branconi (1746–1793), Langenstein Castle;
thence by descent to her son Antonio Francesco Salvatore Pessina de Branconi (1762–1828), Langenstein Castle;
1829 sold to Johann Heinrich von Reinicke (1791–1854), as part of the property of Langenstein Castle;
1855 sold to August Wilhelm Rimpau (1814–1892), as part of the property of Langenstein Castle;
thence by descent;
September 1945 the Soviet occupying power expropriated Langenstein Castle and transferred the art collection to the Municipal Museum Halberstadt;
inv. no. K1/20;
restituted to the Rimpau family in 2005

We are grateful to Gerlinde de Beer for confirming the attribution to Jacob Gerritsz. Loef. Her written certificate (in copy), dated 25 February 2009, accompanies the present lot. She writes: “The painting shows the distinctive stylistic characteristics of the marine painter Jacob Gerritsz. Loef’s late period. This includes the composition, position of the ships in the water, their shape and the shape and colours of the waves.” She adds: “As here, he also largely refrained from using figures to enliven his ships, which sometimes appear almost deserted. This corresponds to the fact that Loef was an outspoken marine painter. Themes such as the beach view do not appear in his work. In addition, Loef painted on wood, including large formats, until at least 1660, when canvas had become widely accepted.” De Beer continues: “The painting created here also belongs to his late works. It is both remarkable and characteristic that Loef remained true to his archaic-looking formal conception of stormy waters, which is reminiscent of the early school of the genre, until his late period - like a motif signature.”.