17th Century Still-life Paintings

Indistinctly signed and dated In the first quarter of the 17th century a new form of flower painting was developed in Flemish painting, which, recreated by a large group of artists and workshops, would achieve considerable success throughout the century in much of Europe: the garland of flowers surrounding a central figure. Brueghel de Velurs was the initiator of this type of composition, however, it was his pupil, Daniel Seghers, who was the dominant figure in this specialised production and the creator of a prototype that would serve as a model for the numerous artists who followed in his wake. It seems undeniable that the artist of the present painting had seen the Garlands of Flowers Surrounding a Medallion Depicting the Triumph of Love by Daniel Seghers and Domenico Zampieri (now in the Musée du Louvre in Paris). In our painting, the present floral wreath encircles a carved cartouche within which sits Saint Dorothy of Caesarea and the attribute which often accompanies her in art, a basket of roses. The extremely delicate flowers have been rendered in meticulous detail, so that every species can be identified from exotic tulips to roses, irises and forget-me-nots; this obvious attention to naturalism is inherited from the Flemish manner. Each flower is so precise and refined that they are an individual study in their own right. The still-lifes are from the hand of Jan Anton van den Baren, with the central figures by another accomplished hand. Van den Baren’s arrangement of flowers would have delighted connoisseurs in both Flanders and in Vienna, where the impossibility of their all blooming at the same time of year would have been understood as a further statement of the wonder and beauty of the divine. Van den Baren worked first in Brussels, where he collaborated with Erasmus Quellinus II for the figures in his works, before moving with Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, his patron, to Vienna in 1656, where he instead worked with fellow Flemish émigré painter Nikolaus van Hoy. The iconography relates to an eighth century legend where she was presented a basket of roses by a child. In addition to the brilliance of his handling of still-lifes Van den Baren played an important art historical role as Director of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm’s Picture Gallery in Vienna, then one of the greatest collections in the world and the core of what was to become the present collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Van der Baren compiled an inventory of the collection in 1659, and his predecessor as Director of the Archduke’s Picture Gallery (when it was still housed in Flanders), David Teniers, depicted van der Baren (third from right) in his celebrated Archduke Leopold Willem in his gallery at Brussels, conserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It is a shining example of the Flemish Baroque and is a very rare object indeed, considering there are only 14 paintings accepted as authentic works by this artist. We are grateful to Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution to Johannes Antonius van der Baren. A feature of this painting is its outstanding carved and gilded frame with a plethora of flowers and foliage. Titan Fine Art

Master of the Grotesque Vase (active in Rome and Naples in the first quarter of the 17th century) Still life of flowers in a classic vase oil on canvas 66 x 51 cm, In frame cm. 82 x...

Still Life Of Flowers & Fruit In A Glass Vase Upon A Stone Mantle, 19th Century by Jan D DE HEEM Large 17th century Dutch Old Master still life study of various flowers and fruit ...

Still Life with Watermelon, Pears, and Grapes. Lombard School of the 17th-18th Centuries. Oil on canvas. Relined. A composition of lush fruit, heightened by dense and bold brushstro...

This stunning Dutch 17th century Old Master still life oil painting is attributed to the circle of Jan Davidsz de Heem. Painted circa 1660 it is a magnificent vibrant painting of gra...

Francesco Annicini (Rome 1632 - post 1679) - Still life with greengrocer. 73.5 x 98.5 cm without frame, 90 x 115 cm with frame. Antique oil painting on canvas, in a carved and gild...

Oil on panel In the refined strokes of a 17th-century Dutch artist, a captivating still life unfolds, showcasing a meticulous arrangement of culinary delights that transcend the mun...

This painting fits well into the Dutch pictorial production of the Golden century. The composition, built on the harmonious presentation of rich wild game and fine details such as th...

58 x 136 cm without frame, 71.5 x 150 cm with frame Antique shaped and gilded wooden box frame Publications: unpublished This beautiful painting shows a varied still life with var...

Floral with Urn is in a classical Dutch style that dates to the 17th century. The bright flowers drape the urn in whites, crimsons and pinks, standing out against the darker foliage...

Pair of large and opulent 17th century Flemish floral still lifes by the celebrated artist Gaspar Pieter Verbruggen I Our paintings depict opulent floral arrangements consisting of,...

Painting, oil on canvas, measuring 82 x 67.5 unframed and 98 x 82 cm with frame, by the painter Nicolas Baudesson ( Troyes 1611 - Paris 1680 ). Born in Troyes to a family of artists ...

Painting oil on canvas measuring 67 x 45 cm without frame and 82 x 60 depicting a vase of flowers by the painter Niccolò Stanchi ( Rome 1626 - 1690 ). The Stanchi brothers (Giovanni...

This painting is reproduced in the reference book on Roman still life "Pittori di nature morta a Roma - artisti italiani 1630 -1750" by Gianluca and Ulisse Bocchi - Arti Grafiche Cas...

Still Life Of Pears, Apples and Grapes in an upturned basket, 17th Century circle of BARTHOLOMEUS ASSTEYN (1607-1667) Huge 17th Century Dutch Still Life of apples, pears and grape...

Oil painting on canvas measuring 50 x 99 cm without frame and 62 x 111 cm with coeval frame, depicting a still life of fruit by the painter Giovanni Paolo Castelli known as Spadino ( Rome 1659 - 1730 ). This magnificent canvas, hitherto unpublished to my knowledge, depicts a display of fruit set out in the open at the edge of a wood (apples, peaches, black and white pizzutella grapes, two split watermelons and a plum), and at the edge of a stream, with a hilly landscape opening up to the left. The fruit is placed in the foreground, very close to the viewer's point of view, and occupies, with its bright and festive colors, most of the field of vision. The painter does not seek a particular spatial geometry or constructive scheme, but indulges in a skilful and brilliant chromatic weaving of the surfaces, by means of a pictorial material applied with exceptional fluidity and vibration, if you like, even sensual in its luminous and 'tactile' corpulence in the taste of the full Baroque. The quality is excellent and the style appears surprisingly free and evocative, although it retains traces of the old Flemish naturalism typical of Roman Baroque still life painting, strongly influenced by the work of Abraham Brueghel, as evidenced, for example, by the tiny drops of visible dew, or the luminous reflections on grapes or the flesh of watermelons. These are all elements that undoubtedly indicate as its author one of the most important specialists of this pictorial genre in late Baroque Rome: Giovanni Paolo Castelli known as Lo Spadino. The painting in fact appears to be entirely typical of the painter's mature work, i.e. towards the end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th century (the chronological collocation is suggested by the similarities with the work of another great contemporary still life specialist, Pietro Navarra...

Olio su tela. Scuola italiana del XVII secolo. La grande composizione presenta una varietà di alimenti su un tavolo di cucina: a sinistra un grande canestro di vimini pieno di ortag...

Giovanni Stanchi (Rome 1608 - 1675) or Niccolò Stanchi (Rome 1623 - 1690), workshop of GARLAND OF FLOWERS WITH PORTRAIT OF THE VIRGIN Rome, First half of the Seventeenth century o...

"Cassetta" frame in sculpted, carved, gilded wood. Expertise by Gianluca Bocchi.

This stunning 17th century Dutch Old Master Golden Age floral oil painting is by noted Dutch artist Simon Pietersz Verelst. The full attribution...

Ornate Classical Fruit Still Life Italian School, 17th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 22 x 27 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condi...

Still life with playing cards, coral, shells, a jewelry box and a stone sculpture Oil on canvas We'd like to thank dr. Fred Meijer for his attribution. Carstian Luyckx was a 17th ...

This superb trompe l'oeil painting is in the typical manner and quality of the Antwerp Jesuit master Daniel Seghers. Painted circa 1650, the central cartouche, most probably the wor...

This lovely 17th century Old Master floral oil painting is attributed to the circle of noted Franco Flemish artist Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer. Painted circa 1670 it is a still life of a ...

Pieter Boel, Flemish Old Master, painted this stunning 17th century still life oil painting. Painted circa 1660 it is a large and impressive still life with dead game surrounded by f...

This superb trompe l'oeil painting is in the circle and quality of the Antwerp Jesuit master Daniel Seghers. Painted circa 1650, the central cartouche, most probably the work of ano...

A fine Dutch still life Old Master by Leendert de Laeff which is signed and dated 1664. This oil on canvas on panel depicts a still life of fruit with insects and butterflies. A supe...

Felice Boselli (Piacenza, 1650 - Parma, 1732) Still life with two women Oil on canvas, 98.5 x 164 cm Frame 108 x 175.5 The refined composition depicting a floral still life with...

Antonio Tibaldi known as the Count (Rome, 1633 - documented until 1675) Still life with musical instruments, sheet music and riser with sweets Oil on canvas, cm 120 x 169 Frame, 1...

David Cornelisz de Heem (1663 – 1701) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in still lifes. He was born in Leiden, the Netherlands, to the painter Cornelis de Heem and his w...

Suiveur De Cornelis De Heem (1631-1695) Bouquet de fleurs dans un vase, huile sur toile (oil on canvas). 69x56,5 cm

Francesca Volò Smiller, called Vincenzina (Milan, 1657 - 1700) - circle of Floral composition Oil on canvas (97 x 72 cm. - in octagonal frame 100 x 84 cm.) A rich floral compositio...

Artista attivo in ambito lombardo nel primo quarto del XVII secolo Natura morta con frutti, verdure e vaso con fiori su un ripiano in pietra Olio su tela cm. 115 x 170 Studio del ...

NORTHERN ARTIST ACTIVE IN ROME IN THE LAST QUARTER OF THE XVII CENTURY Still life with flowers, fruits, historiated vases, a parrot and a monkey The painting is part of a pair: th...

NORTHERN ARTIST ACTIVE IN ROME IN THE LAST QUARTER OF THE XVII CENTURY Still life with vase of flowers, fruits and architectural ruins The painting is part of a pair: the twin can...

Flemish school of the 17th century Oil on canvas 52 x 60 cm (66 x 76 cm with the frame) Very beautiful old frame in gilded wood Good condition (a few repaints and craquelures) The style of our painting reminds the first period of Flemish still life of the 17th century, very descriptive and meticulous. We think of painters such as Osias Beert, Jacob van Es and Clara Peeters...

STILL LIFE WITH BIRDS AND RAISINS, WORKSHOP OF FRANS SNYDERS (1579-1657) An exquisite and attractive work, our painting with its rich and harmonious composition is one of the remarkable examples of the passion of art lovers of the 17th century for still lifes, the genre in full ferment in Antwerp in early 17th century, long before its arrival to Paris in the 1630s & 40s. Our painting presents on an entablature covered with wine-colored velvet cloth, various objects in an artistic arrangement which is intended to be spontaneous. The tight framing, like an extract and the piled up objects suggest a plenitude and an infinite richness of what nature can offer and reinforce the feeling of prosperity. The wicker basket overflowing with translucent bunches of grapes in green and purplish hues with icy reflections dominates the right side of the painting. In the center is the game birds, partridge, snipe, sparrow, pincon and others, each bird with a fine and precise design, transparent plumage, the meticulous rendering of the different beak or leg parts, zebrures and streaks of the down. On the left, two stacked white and blue Chinese...

Aniello Ascione (Naples, fl. 1680-1708) A still life of flowers in an urn with a parrot, melon, pomegranates and figs at its base, a view to an ornamental garden beyond Oil on canvas 59 3/4 x 39 3/4 in Provenance The Alexander Family Collection, Milford House, Co. Carlow, Ireland The latter half of the 17th century and earlier 18th century marked the golden age of Neapolitan still-life painting and Aniello Ascione was one of its most highly regarded exponents. His sumptuous paintings, brimming with fecund produce of the Mediterranean and painted in rich colours, were eagerly sought after by those who wished to decorate their palaces in that city. Naples in the seventeenth century had established a significant reputation and artistic tradition of producing flamboyant and technically excellent still-lifes which had largely been initiated by Caravaggio who, having stated that it required as much effort to paint a good flower piece as a figure subject, helped to revolutionise and eventually abolish the closed attitude to genres of painting. Caravaggio maintained that art was the mirror of nature and his superb Basket of Fruit, now in the Ambrosiana in Milan and painted in 1597, marked the birth of European still-life painting. Throughout the 17th century, Neapolitan still-life painting was founded on the principles demonstrated by Caravaggio and these artists seem to have been the only ones to correctly understand and utilise his ideas. These paintings were noted for their vibrant portrayals of flowers, often in great abundance, fruit and birds done in an elegant and decorative manner. Luca Forte (c.1615- c.1670) was one of the first Neapolitan artists to adopt the Caravaggesque naturalism in this genre of painting and with exceptional creativity sweeping through the city in the 1630s, he was soon followed by Paolo Porpora and Guiseppe and Giovanni Battista Recco and the Ruoppolo family. When Abraham Brueghel arrived in Naples in about 1670, his influence accelerated the transition of the portrayal of still-life to a more baroque style often epitomised by a mass of flowers, cascading over classical objects like water. This more baroque style was taken up by a new generation of painters and one of the first and most prominent of these was Andrea Belvedere (1652-c.1732). He taught Nicola Casissa and other artists working in a similar vein included Gasparo Lopez (called Gasparo di Fiori) d. circa 1732, Paolo Porpora (1617-1663) and Nicola Malinconico (1663-1721). The aforementioned Ruoppolo family were also eminent and Giovan Battista Ruoppolo (1619-1693) instructed the young Aniello Ascione. His pupil became one of the most celebrated representatives of Neapolitan Baroque which combined the traditional naturalism favoured by the city with the new 18th century decorative style. This style proved highly popular with the more secular Neapolitan middle classes as well as the aristocracy and royalty to furnish their grand homes. They loved the harmonious colouring and composition suffused with exuberance Ascione became the most prominent still-life painter in Naples at the transition from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. His paintings, which are often of a significant size, utilise intense decorative colours with an abundance of flowers and piles of fruit such as pomegranates, grapes, peaches, pears, melons and plums. Sometimes these spill down stone steps or are draped or stacked with flowers among classical statuary and there is often a view to a landscape or ornamental garden beyond to give the composition depth. Accompanying the fruit and flowers, Ascione occasionally added parrots, dogs or rabbits and he often signed with a monogram comprised of interlocking As although there are some works signed in entirety. His smaller pieces tended to be more intimate in construction with one looking at just different fruits with some of its foliage so that the different hues and skin textures could interact and to some extent, these reflect the legacy of Abraham Brueghel. One very rare piece, now in the Castellino collection in Naples, is a kitchen interior with a skinned lamb which owes its influence to Guiseppe Recco. There is a fine set of the Four Seasons, which also incorporates putti into the compositions and which are believed to have been contributed by Nicola Vaccaro (1659-1720) the son of Andrea Vaccaro...

This late 17th-century Italian still life painting depicts an urn with flowers, a dish of fruit, porcelain bottle and bird. It was previously in the co...

Nicolas Van Houbraken (Messina, 1668 - Pisa, 1733) Still life with mushrooms Oil on canvas, cm. 26 x 32 - with frame cm. 38,5 x 33,5 Antique cassetta frame made of carved wood and ...

Francesco Noletti known as the Maltese (Malta 1611-Rome 1654) Workshop/circle of Still life with musical instruments, toys, armour, textiles and precious objects Oil on canvas (52 x...

This unpublished composition is a recent addition to Adeodato Zuccati’s catalog. The study of this painting by Gianluca Bocchi, an Italian art historian specializing in Italian still lives, is available upon request. This composition is typical of the productions of Adeodato Zuccati, an Emilian painter...

This painting is typical of the art of Jan Weenix, one of the best still life and hunting painters of the Dutch Golden Age. In a cleverly disordered manner, he depicts ten studies of dogs (mainly spaniels and greyhounds) and the sumptuous study of a stole. These studies were probably intended to be used as a source of inspiration and adapted in the painter's compositions, as we will see in a close examination of some of his paintings. 1. Jan Weenix, a prolific still life painter Jan Weenix was born into a family of artists: his father Jan Baptist Weenix (1621 - 1659) was also a landscape and still life painter and his mother Josyntgen d'Hondecoeter was the daughter of the animal painter Gillis d'Hondecoeter (1575 - 1638). His father trained him together with his cousin Melchior d'Hondecoeter (1636 - 1695). In 1664 Jan Weenix became a member of the St. Luke's Guild in Utrecht, to which he belonged until 1668. In 1679 he married Pieternella Backer with whom he had 13 children. His compositions, often related to hunting (still lifes, portraits of hunters) were very successful, ensuring him a certain financial ease. Jan Weenix also painted large-scale decorations: while staying in Düsseldorf with the Prince-Elector of the Palatinate between 1702 and 1712, he executed twelve gigantic compositions combining landscapes, hunting scenes and still life for the Bensberg hunting lodge. 2. Description of the artwork The painting displays a great apparent disorder that hides a rigorous organisation in four quarters. It presents ten studies of hunting dogs and one study of a stole. The studies of the stole and of two of the dogs (the greyhound in the lower right and the spaniel in the upper right quarter) are quite elaborate, whereas those of the other dogs are sketchier. As an example, the dog in the upper right corner is only partially painted. The dogs' coats, of different colours - brown, sandy, grey or black - stand out against the warm brown background and are illuminated by the shine of their white hair. This white colour, probably executed with ceruse white, illuminates the study of a stole which stands out in the lower left-hand corner while the red colour of its lining warms up the composition. The purpose of this stole is enigmatic: we think it is probably a neckband, but it could also be the back of the turban of an oriental character. To the right of this stole is the outline of a long animal leg, perhaps a horse leg. Similar studies are rare in the work of Jan Weenix, but the Rijksmuseum recently acquired the study of a seated monkey. This study, executed in the same brown chromatic range, is much more accomplished. It has been reused with minimal change in many compositions. It is likely that Jan Weenix had less frequently a monkey at his disposal, and that he therefore depicted it in great details, whereas he could probably easily find dogs as models. Note the characteristic white dot in the corner of each pupil that brings them to life! 3. Related artworks We have tried to relate the various dogs in this study to the countless dogs that appear in the paintings of Jan Weenix, as listed in the catalogue 'Father and Son - Weenix' compiled by Anke van Wagenberg- Ter Hoeven in 2018. A first example is the painting entitled "The Prodigal Son on the Steps of a Palace" (catalogue number 7 - 8th photo in the gallery). In the lower left-hand corner of the composition, a spaniel is barking at a peacock perched on a stone. This spaniel, which is depicted in a similar manner in the "Portrait of a Young Man with a Falcon" in the Bremen Kunsthalle (catalogue number 76), is reminiscent of the spaniel in the upper left-hand quarter of our study (although the latter is slenderer and the direction of its head differs). We also find, in a slightly different pose, the seated greyhound that is at the top of our painting in the composition representing "A Swan, a Stag, a Hare and Birds presented by two hunting Valets" (catalogue number 130 - last photo in the gallery). The sketch of this greyhound in our study is unfinished: the painter only painted the grey undercoat and the white parts of the coat, without completing the sandy coat which appears in the final painting. We can see from these various examples that our study was probably more a repertoire of forms than a model for a specific composition. The painter probably used it for inspiration before adapting each dog study...

Oil on canvas Image size: 23 1/4 x 19 1/2 inches (59 x 50 cm) Dutch Ripple frame PROVENANCE Private Collection, London Here a glass vase containing an exuberant display of flowers stands on a ledge. With only one known exception, Verelst included vases in all of his flower paintings. The asymmetrical arrangement of the flowers fills most of the canvas and the vibrant bouquet contains peonies, a bearded iris and a poppy set amidst a perfusion of twisting leaves and stems. Poppies were one of Verelst's favourite flowers and were commonly featured in his still life's. This painting shows a superb understanding of light and colour that is consistent with Verelst's other works. Indeed, the strong contrast between the brightly lit, the colourful blossoms and the surrounding darkness lends to the flowers and foliage a hyper realistic quality and a strong sense of three-dimensionality. The Artist Verelst was born in The Hague in 1644 and came from a family of painters. His brothers Johannes and Herman also became painters and, like Simon, were trained by their father. In 1663 Simon became a member of the Confrérie Pictura, the painter's association in The Hague, and soon afterwards moved to nearby Vooburg with his brother Herman, who also painted flowers. In 1668 Simon he moved to London where the Duke of Buckingham became his principle patron and on 11 April 1669 he met with Samuel Pepys. He was enormously successful in London and his elegant portraits became popular for a time during the 1670s among court circles. He painted this portrait of Prince Rupert, son of Frederick V, Count Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart...

Hendrick Bloemaert An Allegory of Justitia protecting Innocence from Calumny, Treachery and Deceit signed and dated 'HBloemaert fc. 1638' (HB linked, lower right, on the pedestal) oil on canvas 85.5 x 110.3 cm Provenance H. Hoogers, Nijmegen, 7 June 1816, lot 6, as Cornelis Bloemaert. J. Brolsma, Ede, 1957. with Baer, The Hague, 1960. Collection Hirschberg, The Hague. Anonymous sale; Heerlen, 10 April 1962, lot 121 (as measuring 68 x 108 cm.) Sale of Christie's Amsterdam: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 [Lot 00045] Old Masters, 19th Century and Impressionist Art Literature Marcel Roethlisberger, Abraham Bloemaert...

Painting on board depicting a monumental garden vase

Oil on panel, monogrammed mid left Image size: 15 x 12 1/4 inches (38 x 31 cm) Dutch ripple style frame Loeding was born in Leiden in around 1637 and was admitted into the Leiden Guild of St Luke in 1664. Like other Dutch cities, Leiden required membership in the guilds in order to sell wares falling under the various specifications. There is no record of his artistic training or influences, but he likely belonged to the circle of artists including Pieter de Ring and Gerrit Dou, who founded and maintained the Guild.  Loeding is last registered as a member in 1673. One of the most versatile genres that emerged from Dutch 17th Century artistic specialisms is that of 'pronkstilleven'; a laden table with a variety of rich textures, like ornate glassware, gilded goblets, exquisite nautilus cups...

Stilllife with dead Birds, Fruits and Vegetables Oil on Canvas, 101 x 84 cm signed (upper left) „G Libald “ (G and L ligated) Provenance: Private Collection, Brussels; Private Coll...

Fred G. Meier, art historian, confirmed with the following comment, after a photographic examination of the work, that it belongs to the studio of Georg Flegel...

Oil on canvas depicting a still life, a pantry with a table set with a copper basin and different kinds: hanging game, trays full of fruit and cutting boards with fish. On the left o...

Oil on canvas depicting a still life composed of grapes, pomegranate and peaches placed on a pillar, the composition also features a silver tray; in the background a landscape with t...

Still Life Of Grapes In The Vineyard, 17th Century Pierre Antoine Lemoyne (French 1605-1665) similar to $250,000 Huge 17th Century French Old Master study of grapes in the vineyard, oil on canvas by Pierre Antoine Lemoyne. Excellent quality and condition study of the vines and grapes growing before a rustic building. Exceptional detail and rare early work of art on the subject of wine making...

Still Life with Silver, Porcelain and Fruit Desportes Alexandre François Champigneulles 1661 – 1743 Paris French School Signature: Not signed Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Image size 53 x 42 cm, frame size 69,50 x 58,50 cm Biography: Desportes Alexandre François was born in 1661 in Champigneulle, France. At the age of twelve, Desportes was sent by his father to Paris to learn to paint. Desportes trained in Paris in the Flemish tradition of animal painting and learned to observe the nature thoroughly for his work. In 1695 he accepted an invitation from the French ambassador to paint in Poland Royal portraits at the Polish court. The painter decided that there was a more lucrative market for artists specialized in hunting scenes, studies of dogs, and still life pictures of fruit...

Still Life with fruits is an original oil on canvas realized in the 16th Century by an Italian School Master. Original oil painting on Canvas. The painting represents a still life...

Still life of Summer Flowers in a Basket with Fruit. Circa 1730 Oil On Canvas 32 ¾ x 48 ¼ inches83.1 x 122.5 cm Presented in a 17th century Italian carved gilt frame. Acquired from The collection of the Late Edgar Wigan, Bradstone Brook, Shalford. ABOUT THE ARTIST:  The son of the Flemish painter Pieter Casteels II (referred to as Casteels the Younger) whom he studied under.  While Casteels II was best known for his capriccio harbour scenes and landscapes of his native Antwerp, Casteels III worked primarily in England, where he immigrated in 1708 at the age of 24 and began his career copying Old Master.  Casteels III painted still lives of flowers, and bird and game scenes, and in 1726 produced a volume of twelve plates of bird etchings. Following the success of the publication, he created similar volumes for both flowers and fruit. Pieter Casteels III...

FLEMISH SCHOOL 17th Century STILL LIFE WITH FRUITS unsigned oil on canvas 17-3/4 x 21-3/4 inches (45 x 55 cm.) framed: 22 x 27 inches (56 x 68 cm.) PR...

Oil on canvas Image size: 15 ½ x 19 ¼ inches (39.5 x 49 cm) 18th Century carved gilt frame Provenance Irish Country Estate This complex and convincing composition is painted from a...

Provenance: Selma Herringman, New York, ca. 1955-2013; thence by descent to: Private Collection, New York, 2013-2020 This seventeenth century Spanish still-life of a laden table, known as a bodegón, stands out for its dramatic lighting and for the detailed description of each object. The artist’s confident use of chiaroscuro enables the sliced-open squash in the left foreground to appear as if emerging out of the darkness and projecting towards the viewer. The light source emanates from the upper left, illuminating the array, and its strength is made apparent by the reflections on the pitcher, pot, and the fruit in the basket. Visible brush strokes accentuate the vegetables’ rough surfaces and delicate interiors. Although the painter of this striking work remains unknown, it is a characteristic example of the pioneering Spanish still-lifes of the baroque period, which brought inanimate objects alive on canvas. In our painting, the knife and the large yellow squash boldly protrude off the table. Balancing objects on the edge of a table was a clever way for still-life painters to emphasize the three-dimensionality of the objects depicted, as well a way to lend a sense of drama to an otherwise static image. The knife here teeters on the edge, appearing as if it might fall off the table and out of the painting at any moment. The shape and consistency of the squash at left is brilliantly conveyed through the light brush strokes that define the vegetable’s fleshy and feathery interior. The smaller gourds—gathered together in a pile—are shrouded partly in darkness and stand out for their rugged, bumpy exterior. The stoneware has a brassy glaze, and the earthy tones of the vessels are carefully modulated by their interaction with the light and shadow that falls across them. The artist has cleverly arranged the still-life in a V-shaped composition, with a triangular slice of cheese standing upright, serving as its pinnacle. Independent still-lifes only became an important pictorial genre in the first years of the seventeenth century. In Italy, and particularly through the revolutionary works of Caravaggio, painted objects became carriers of meaning, and their depiction and arrangement the province of serious artistic scrutiny. Caravaggio famously asserted that it was equally difficult to paint a still-life as it was to paint figures, and the elevation of this new art form would have profound consequences to the present day. In Spain Juan Sanchez Cotan...