JAN WYCK (Haarlem, 1652 - London, 1700) Two cavalry officers observe the bombardment of a castle Signed Jwÿck on the rock in the bottom right-hand corner Oil on canvas, 88X102,2 cm Provenance: London, Christie's, 10 July 2002, lot 43 (as Jan Wyck) Milan, private collection The painting displays a refined quality of execution characteristic of a painter of the Nordic school, as well as an elegant draftsmanship and refinement of pigment. The style clearly evokes similarities with the Dutch artist Jan Wyck, who trained in an Italianising taste dictated to him by his father and moved to England in 1664 where he achieved considerable success. His catalogue contains mainly battle scenes and his works greatly influenced British artists devoted to this peculiar genre. By way of comparison we may mention here the canvas sold at Christie's in New York City on 23 January 2004, lot 22, which shows similar pictorial and qualitative conduction. As far as dating is concerned, we assume it could have been executed during the British activity. The work is accompanied by a critical file by Raffaella Colace. Reference bibliography: Sir Oliver Millar, Jan Wyck and the Battle and the Chase in late Stuart England, Leids Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek 13 (2003), pp. 153-176 S. Karst, Off to a new Cockaigne: Dutch migrant artists in London, 1660-1715, Simiolus 37 (2013-2014), pp. 25-60