Last quarter of the 17th Century, ca. 1690
A Still Life with Parrot Tulips, Poppies, Roses, Morning-Glory, Narcissi and other Flowers in a glass Vase, with Acorns and a Snail on a stone Ledge
Oil on Canvas
H. 76,5 cm. W. 63,8 cm.
PROVENANCE
Private collection, United Sates of America
CATALOGUE NOTE
We are grateful to Dr. Fred G. Meijer for his assistance with cataloguing this picture. The present picture was painted by an at present unidentified North Netherlandish master. Another version of this composition of virtually the same dimensions and also oil on canvas is know by Elias van den Broeck (ca. 1650-1708), signed ‘E.V.D. Broeck.‘, which was sold at Christie’s London in July 2010 (RKD nr. 224413). After his apprenticeship with Cornelis Kick in Amsterdam Van den Broeck became a pupil of Jan Davidsz. de Heem in Utrecht in 1669. In 1673 he accompanied De Heem to Antwerp. In 1685 he returned to Amsterdam, where he was successful as a flower painter. Despite apparent influence of De Heem and that of the prominent Amsterdam still life painter Willem van Aelst, as apparent in the diagonal composition of his flower pieces, Van den Broeck created a distinctive personal style. This personal touch is visible in his flower pieces in which he evoked an evening atmosphere with strong lighting effects. The author of the present picture must have been well familiar with Van den Broeck’s work from the forth quarter of the 17th century. The Amsterdam born flower painter Philip van Kouwenbergh (1671–1729) was a pupil of Elias van den Broeck and was regularly inspired by Van den Broeck’s work. However, Dr. Meijer does not recognize his hand in the present picture. As such, an attributed to Van Kouwenbergh can not be sustained. Since the authorship of the London version is undisputed, an origin in the immediate circle of Elias van den Broeck appears likely. Though certainly dating to this period, the present still life was painted by a still unidentified flower painter from the Northern Netherlands, possibly Amsterdam.