Philip Weilbach, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of C.W. Eckersberg, 1872, p. 213 under “II. Malerier udførte paa Rejsen og under Opholdet i Paris. 1810–1813” (II. Paintings executed on the journey and during the stay in Paris. 1810–1813). Emil Hannover, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of C.W. Eckersberg, 1898, no. 94.

Exhibited: Kunstforeningen, “Udstillingen af C. W. Eckersbergs Malerier”, 1895 no. 56.

Literature: Emil Hannover, “Maleren C. W. Eckersberg”, 1898, mentioned and ill. p. 50. “C. W. Eckersberg's diaries 1810–1837”, volume I, published and annotated by Villads Villadsen, 2009, mentioned p. 56.

Provenance: Chamberlain Christopher von Bülow to Nordfeld and Aulebæksgaard (1811). Warden of the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities Johan Conrad Spengler (1767–1839), his estate auction 8 October 1839 no. 15. Here acquired by merchant Laurits Nicolai Hvidt; his son, Eduard Julius Hvidt; his son, Laurits Nicolai Hvidt; his widow, Elisabeth Hvidt, née Gammeltoft (1895, 1898). Sotheby's, London, 27 March 1990 no. 2. Christie's, London, Old Masters Part II: Paintings, Sculpture, Drawings and Watercolours, 3 July 2024 no. 220.

In the early summer of 1810, Eckersberg went on his great journey abroad to Paris and Rome. The journey went through the Harz in Germany and along the Rhine, and several drawings and a few paintings from Eckersberg's hand are known from here, including “Partie af Ilsedalen paa Harzen” (From the Ilse valley in the Harz) (Hannover no. 92) and “Partie af Okkerdalen paa Harzen” (View from the Oker Valley in the Harz) (Hannover no. 93) and the present painting.

On Monday, September 24, Eckersberg arrived in the Rhine region as he travelled from Frankfurt to Wiesbaden. Two days later, he writes the following in his diary about the further journey and the experience of the area (in Danish): “Wednesday the 26th from there to Iberg where we got on board the water stagecoach from Mainz, and we went with it down the stream of the Rhine to Coblenz where we arrived the same day’s evening at 10. As beautiful as it was strange, and remarkable was the road from Bingen to Coblenz, the river runs there between very high steep rocks on which and between are the most beautiful vineyards on both sides. A great quantity of ruins of old knights' castles are seen here on each side of the stream, wonderfully built on the steepest cliffs and the highest peaks of the mountains. A rare old castle which was still very well maintained and very remarkable is: Die Pfalz, it is built right in the middle of the river on a cliff, all the former Counts of the Palatinate are from there.”

Eckersberg describes the motif of the painting as follows: “The Rhine stream approximately 4 miles southeast of Coblenz. On the left you can see down the Rhine stream, the water stagecoach is seen sailing down with the stream, two men pulling a small river barge loaded with goods up against the stream. To the right, on a mountain planted all around with vines, you see an old ruin of an ancient knight's castle called Gutenfels, a similar one can also be noticed on a high hill in the background somewhat to the left. On the middle ground you can see some of the village of Kaup, from there you can see along the road to ... walking woman who has collected greens etc.” (cited from “C. W. Eckersberg's diaries 1810–1837”, volume I, published and annotated by Villads Villadsen, 2009, p. 56).