Fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river, with a barge crossing the ford thumbnail 1
Fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river, with a barge crossing the ford thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level H , Case DG, Shelf 24

Fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river, with a barge crossing the ford

Drawing
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This landscape drawing in pen and brown ink depicts a fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river while a sailing barge carrying a horse-drawn caravan crosses the ford in the foreground. It was made by Antonina Houbraken (1686-1736), a Dutch draughtswoman from Dordrecht. Like many women artists in the early modern period, she likely learned to draw from her father, Arnold Houbraken. Antonina worked alongside her father and her brother, the print-maker Jacobus Houbraken, on various print projects, including the publication of a volume on Netherlandish painters.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river, with a barge crossing the ford (published title)
Materials and techniques
Pen and brown ink, with brown and grey wash; double framing line in brown ink.
Brief description
Landscape drawing of a fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river with a barge crossing the ford, by Antonina Houbraken, 17th century, Dutch School.
Physical description
Landscape drawing in pen, slightly tinted with bistre and neutral tint, on paper. Fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river, with a barge crossing the ford. A ruined building appears beyond the river, its watch-tower surmounted by a weather-cock. On the left, in the foreground, is a sailing barge transporting a horse-drawn caravan.
Dimensions
  • Height: 139mm
  • Width: 200mm
Style
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • J: Stelling werf (Inscribed at lower right in brown ink)
  • 437 (Inscribed above 'j: stelling werf' in brown ink)
  • Greffier Fagels colln 1799 WE P96 N80 (Altered to P97. Inscribed on verso along lower edge by Esdaile in brown ink.)
  • Stellingwerf, 140 (Inscribed on old mount in pencil at lower right by Dyce in a nineteenth-century hand.)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce
Object history
Provenance: Griffier François Fagel the elder (1659–1746), The Hague; presumably his nephew, Griffier Hendrick Fagel the elder (1706–90), The Hague; his grandson, Griffier Hendrick Fagel the younger (1765–1838), The Hague and London, the family sale [François Fagel the elder], London, T. Philipe, 20–5 May 1799, possibly lot 463: ‘Fifteen landscapes––six in bistre––neat small views––the rest ruined castles––all in Holland’ (bt. for £0. 5s. 0d.);1 William Esdaile (1758–1837), London (L. 2617 at upper right), his sale, London, Christie’s, 18–25 June 1840, lot 837: ‘Stellingwerf. A pair of river-scenes, with a chateau and a ferry-boat, in bistre’ (to ‘Sheath’ for £0. 3s. 0d.); Rev. Alexander Dyce (1798–1869), London, by whom bequeathed to the museum (L. Suppl. 153b), 1869.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This landscape drawing in pen and brown ink depicts a fantasy view of the ruins of a castle on a river while a sailing barge carrying a horse-drawn caravan crosses the ford in the foreground. It was made by Antonina Houbraken (1686-1736), a Dutch draughtswoman from Dordrecht. Like many women artists in the early modern period, she likely learned to draw from her father, Arnold Houbraken. Antonina worked alongside her father and her brother, the print-maker Jacobus Houbraken, on various print projects, including the publication of a volume on Netherlandish painters.
Bibliographic reference
Jane Shoaf Turner and Christopher White, Catalogue of Dutch and Flemish Drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, 2014), vol. I, cat.88, p.136
Collection
Accession number
DYCE.437

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 8, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest