vi JOHANNES VERMEER 603 Sales. Amsterdam, May 19, 1696, No. 32 (72 florins 10). G. W. Oosten de Bruyn, Amsterdam, April 8, 1800. In the Van Winter collection, Amsterdam. Now in the collection of J. Six, Amsterdam. 48. A VIEW OF DELFT FROM THE ROTTERDAM CANAL. 6.48; H. 49. Beyond the broad canal, which runs right across the foreground, lie the walls of Delft with the Schiedam and Rotterdam gates, the latter of which is flanked by two towers. The gates are con- nected by an arched bridge, under which the canal enters the town. At the back rises the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk. On the extreme left the steeple of the Oude Kerk may be seen above a broad roof. On the canal are several boats. In the left foreground is a piece of the nearer bank, where six persons are standing near a " trekschuit " or canal-boat. The sky, with light clouds, takes up nearly two-thirds of the picture. Near the centre of the foreground may be discerned the traces of a man's figure which was painted out by the artist himself. Signed on the boat to the left with the monogram "J. v. M." (the letters intertwined) ; canvas, 39 inches by 46^ inches. Described by Waagen (iii. 26). A study for the picture is preserved in the print -room in the Stadel Institute, Frankfort-on-the-Main. A water-colour copy by H. Numan occurred in the following Amsterdam sales : H. van Maarseveen, October 28, 1793, No. 16 ; C. Ploos van Amstel, March 3, 1800, No. 3 (66 florins, Boddens) ; J. Valette, October 26, 1807, No. i ; F. Munnikhuysen and others, November 27, 1820 (50 florins, Van den Berg). Other copies by W. Hendricks, and probably by R. Vinkeles, junior, and C. van Noorde, were in Amsterdam sales in 1819, 1833, and 1834. Sales. Amsterdam, May 16, 1696, No. 31 (200 florins). S. J. Stinstra, Amsterdam, May 22, 1822, No. 112 (2900 florins). Bought by the Dutch Government, as stated in the letter of June 5, 1822, from the Ministry of the Interior to the Director of the Museum. Now in the Royal Picture Gallery, The Hague ; summary catalogue of 1904, No. 92. 49. A View of some Houses. This must have been smaller than, or inferior in quality to, the Six picture (47), since it fetched a lower price. Sale. Amsterdam, May 16, 1696, No. 33 (48 florins). Possibly the water-colour copy by A. Brondgeest No. 14 in the sale of J. Schepens, Amsterdam, January 21, 1811 which appeared with another copy of the Six picture, was really a copy of this lost picture. The same may be said of the water-colour copy by G. Lamberts after Vermeer, in the sale of H. Reydon, Amsterdam, April 5, 1827, No. 10 (22 florins 10). 50. The Oude Gracht in Haarlem, near Klein Heiligland. Numerous countrymen and their wives are crossing the water in a boat to celebrate " Hartjesdag " on the dunes. According to the sale catalogue, the picture bore the signature
