Leonaert (or Leonard) Bramer (Delft, 1596-Delft, 1674) is one of the most fascinating and intriguing painters and draughtsmen of the Dutch Golden Age. At a young age, he embarked on a long journey to France and then to Rome, where he was nicknamed the "Leonardo della Notte" in reference to his nocturnal paintings. Upon his return to Delft in 1628, Leonaert Bramer joined the Guild of Saint Luke and became close to the famous Johannes Vermeer; in an archival document dated April 4, 1653, it is revealed that Leonaert Bramer visited the mother of Johannes Vermeer’s future wife, Catharina Thins, to plead for the marriage of the painter and Catharina. This sometimes leads to the speculation that Leonaert Bramer could have been the master of Johannes Vermeer, but no documentary evidence has been discovered to date.

The present series of twelve watercolors is painted by Leonaert Bramer c. 1660-1670. It showcases all the stylistic characteristics of Leonaert Bramer as a draughtsman: the brushstroke is energetic, rapid, almost nervous, the palette is rich, the treatment of light is expressive, notably in the subtle depiction of shadow and light, and the compositions are dynamic. It is also interesting to note that the compositions of some of our watercolors can be directly compared to other drawings by Leonaert Bramer: the image of Christ at Gethsemane is identical to the drawing held at Leiden University, while the scene of the Mocking of Christ is identical to a drawing sold on the art market (Paris, Christie’s, March 29, 2012, lot 51).

Furthermore, the series of watercolors has a fascinating provenance: they are all mounted on laid papers that contain different parts of the Hollandia watermark ("Maid of Dort" with the inscription "Pro Patria" and the initials "GR" surmounted by an imperial crown), which was produced in Holland in the 18th century. On the reverse of each watercolor, a collector has written the artist’s name, "Leonard Bramer", and has inscribed, on the recto of each paper page, indications related to the identification of the subject represented as well as the chapters and verses of the corresponding gospel. Certainly, at that time, our twelve watercolors were still accompanied by the three other known watercolors from the same series: the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, inv. 1969.1619 and 1969.1620) and the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (private collection, Milwaukee; deposited at the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, inv. XL 1989.4.2). At an undetermined date in the second half of the 19th century, René della Faille de Waerloos (1830-1902) most certainly became the owner of fourteen of these watercolors, which were sold in 1904 following the sale of his entire collection after his death two years earlier. After passing through the hands of the dealings company C. G. Boerner in Düsseldorf in 1968, our twelve watercolors were acquired by David Carter (1921-2014), former director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and his wife Louise Carter (1927-2020). The couple, who owned a significant art collection, had lent these twelve watercolors twice for exhibitions: in 1982 at the Princeton Art Museum and in 1992 at the Beatrice Haggerty Museum of Art in Milwaukee.

The present scenes depict: 1. The Transfiguration; 2. The Stoning of Christ; 3. Christ at Gethsemane; 4. The Betrayal of Christ; 5. Christ before Caiaphas; 6. Pilate washing his Hands; 7. The Flagellation of Christ; 8. The Mocking of Christ; 9. The Way to Calvary; 10. The Deposition; 11. The Entombment; 12. The Resurrection.

Watercolors from the same set
Adoration of the Shepherds (Montreal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts collection, 1969.1619).
Adoration of the Magi (Montreal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts collection, 1969.1620).
Christ's Entry into Jerusalem (Milwaukee, private collection; on loan to the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, XL 1989.4.2).
Circumcision of Christ (Gouda, White Rosen Fine Art; private collection).