GOVAERT FLINCK
1615-166 097 A Young Man Standing
Black and white chalk on blue paper; H: 40.8 cm (i6Vi6
in.); W: 21.5 cm (8^7 /ioin.)
89.GB.46
MARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: At bottom left corner, in-
scribed Backer in faint black chalk.
PROVENANCE: Private collection (sale, Sotheby's, New
York, January 13, 1988, lot no); art market, New York.
EXHIBITIONS: Old Master Drawings, P. andD. Colnaghi,
London, June 1967, no. 25.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: None.ALTHOUGH THIS DRAWING WAS PREVIOUSLY GIVEN TO
Jacob Backer (Colnaghi 1967), it corresponds more
closely to works by Flinck, such as the signed study of a
seated man in the Schlossmuseum, Weimar (inv.
KK 4949). Based on stylistic analysis, J. W. von Moltke
dated the Weimar drawing to the later 16508. W. Su-
mowski agreed, noting that the date of 1658 inscribed at
the bottom of the sheet (of which von Moltke seems to
have been unaware) probably transcribes an authentic
date that was trimmed away.^1 The Museum's drawing,
whose attribution to Flinck was affirmed by Sumowski
(Sotheby's 1988), must also have been made around this
time.^2 It is highly worked and drawn with great sureness
of hand in all respects save the positioning of the staff,
which Flinck left unfinished. Although he sometimes
used his figure studies for paintings, he does not appear
to have done so in this case.1. J. W. von Moltke, Govaert Flinck 1615-1660 (Amsterdam,
1965 , p. 54); W. Sumowski, Drawings of the Rembrandt School
(New York, 1981), vol. 4, p. 1946 , no. 892.- The present drawing will be included in Sumowski's sup-
plementary volume 12 (forthcoming).
228 DUTCH SCHOOL • FLINCK