Flemish cathedral with beguines and elegant visitors, Dirck van Delen

Property from a West Coast Private Collection
Dirck van Delen
Heusden circa 1605 - 1671 Arnemuiden
Flemish cathedral with beguines and elegant visitors

signed and indistinctly dated center right edge: D.V. DELEN 1639
oil on panel
panel: 18 ¾by 31 in.; 47.6 by 78.7 cm.
framed: 26½ by 38 ½ in.; 67.3 by 97.8 cm.

Condition Report:
The panel consists of a single plank and is flat, stable, and beveled on all four edges of the reverse. The architectural scene reads very well beneath slightly yellowed varnish, with small details in costumes and architecture retained. The signature is mostly legible. No retouching or repairs are obvious to the naked eye. Under UV inspection, the varnish appears milky, but two areas of repair are visible- an oval at center left and an oval at bottom right, along with small scattered strokes of retouching concentrated in the center on the white ceiling and a few in the right side chapel. The varnish may obscure earlier restoration as well but the retouching has been well applied. The painting may improve with a fresh varnish but otherwise can hang in its current state. Offered in a decoratively carved giltwood frame.