Jean Laurent KRAFFT II (Brussels, 1726 - after 1775) Two views of the castle of Tervuren Pair of oil paintings on oak panels, three boards, reinforced with vertical rails Signed and dated 'JL. Krafft F / 1769' and 'JL. Krafft F 1769' lower centre (One cracked) Two views of the castle of Tervuren, oil on oak panel, a pair, signed and dated, by J. L. Krafft II 21.45 x 36.81 in. 54.5 x 93.5 cm Provenance: Collection of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry ; Anonymous sale; London, Sotheby's, 20 July 1955, no. 73 ; Private collection, Brussels Tervuren Castle, which has now disappeared, was one of the most important residences in the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands. The estate reached its apogee in the early 17th century under Archduke Albert (fig. 1) and Archduchess Isabella, who ruled the Spanish Netherlands at the time. They lavished great splendour on it, as evidenced by the representations of the castle by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Denijs van Alsloot. Dated 1769, these views are an exceptional record of the last hours of the castle, which became the summer residence of the Austrian governors before it was demolished in 1781. The destruction was ordered by Emperor Joseph II of Habsburg, who considered the castle too expensive to maintain. Today, only the stables and chapel remain in the park at Tervuren. The artist drew his inspiration here from two views of the castle taken by Norbert Heylbrouck (c. 1700-1762) under Charles Alexander of Lorraine and known from engravings. They show the canal dug by the archduke to link the castle to the factory he had created in the park, and on which, like the guests gathered here, people travelled by gondola. Fig. 1: Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder, Portrait of Albert of Austria in front of Tervuren Castle, c. 1615, Madrid, Prado Museum (no. P001683) Jean Laurent KRAFFT II (Brussels, 1726 - after 1775) 54.5 x 93.5 cm