Pair of Dutch Neoclassical Flower Still Lifes, Signed F.M. de Spaen, Dated 1809
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
A rare and highly decorative pair of large flower still lifes in watercolour and gouache, signed "F.M. de Spaen née de Bylandt" and dated 1809. They are the work of a noblewoman connected to two old aristocratic families of the Dutch-German Rhine borderlands.
The paintings
Each sheet shows a lavish bouquet in a classical urn on a stone ledge against a deep midnight-blue ground: peonies, roses, lilies, lilac, hydrangea, auriculas, forget-me-nots and trailing nasturtiums, painted with great botanical precision. Made at the height of the Neoclassical period, the pair follows the Dutch flower-painting tradition of artists such as Gerard van Spaendonck and Jan van Os. Around 1800, flower painting in watercolour was one of the most esteemed artistic accomplishments for women of rank, and these sheets show the refinement of that training.
Over two centuries the fugitive reds, pinks and yellows have gently faded, leaving a sophisticated palette of soft buff, sage green and vivid Prussian blue against the dark ground. The effect is strikingly contemporary, reminiscent of fine antique wallpaper panels...
Category
Early 1800s Dutch Neoclassical Antique Hans de Jong Wall Decorations