Red chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash

290 x 223 mm. (11 3/8 x 8 7/8in.)

SOLD TO A PRIVATE COLLECTOR

Dutch painter, draughtsman and etcher. His first teacher was Nicolaas Wieling (before 1640-1678), according to Houbraken. After Wieling was appointed court painter to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, Terwesten became a pupil of Willem Doudijns (1630-97). Subsequently Terwesten travelled through Germany and Italy. Houbraken's claim that Terwesten spent three years in Rome is confirmed by signed drawings of Roman subjects dated 1675, 1676 and 1677. In Rome he joined the Schildersbent, the northern painters' confraternity, who gave him the bent-name 'Patrijs'. After a stay in Venice, Terwesten returned to The Hague via France and England. In 1682, together with Doudijns, Theodorus van der Schuer (1628-1707), Daniel Mijtens and Robert Duval, he was a co-founder of the Hague Academie, which offered artists the opportunity to draw from live models on some evenings each week.

Comparable drawings are in a Catalogue of an exhibition held in the Schloss Charlottenburg, in cooperation with the Rijksprentenkabinett, Amsterdam, 16 December 1995-18 February 1996, titled Gemälde und Zeichnungen von Augustin und Matthäus Terwestern (1649-1711), (1670-1757) : zwei niederländische Künstler am Hofe Friedrichs I. und Sophie Charlottes / by Renate L. Colella.

The attribution has been accepted by Dr Eric Loeffler1.

1. Written communication 10 February 2009.