Vue de la porte d’Adeghem is a delicate watercolour showing a rare view of the historic Adeghem Gate in Mechelen, as it likely appeared around 1780. This city gate was located on the outskirts and connected to roads leading to Sint-Niklaas, Dendermonde, and Ghent. For this reason, it was also commonly known as the Ghent Gate.
With soft colour fields, a pale blue sky, and a balanced composition, De Noter captures the cityscape in a moment of stillness. The Gothic tower gate with its slender turrets rises from a quiet scene, populated by walkers and figures near the water. The architecture is rendered with remarkable accuracy, as if it were being gently summoned from the mists of the past.
The painting offers us a city no longer visible today: serene, detailed, almost timeless. Everything reflects a deep respect for heritage and a precise visual language. This watercolour belongs to a series in which De Noter revived long-lost monuments, combining near-documentary precision with poetic sensitivity.
Details:
• Artist: Jean-Baptist De Noter (Walem 1787 – 1855 Mechelen)
• Watercolour
• Condition: excellent
• Signed
• Sale without frame
• Size without frame: 19 cm x 14.3 cm
• Dimensions with support: 43.5 cm x 33.2 cm
• Origin: auction
The black background in the photo was only used to enhance the visibility of the paper edges. It is not part of the actual artwork.
