Balthasar van der Ast

Until recently in a private English collection;
Thence by descent to a female member of a Norfolk family.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has been recently restored and framed and should be hung as is. The panel on which it is painted was originally made from two pieces of oak which are joined horizontally through the upper center. The reverse has two battens which support this break well. The panel is currently surrounded by thin pieces of oak to allow for framing. The paint layer is stable and does not appear to have been abraded. It has been cleaned, nicely retouched and varnished. The retouches are all visible under ultraviolet light and can be found addressing the horizontal panel join which runs through the white iris and chrysanthemum in the upper center of the group. It is the left side of the background which contains restorations along the edge. Around the cherries in the lower left there is a slightly larger area which appears to have been restored. Elsewhere restorations are very clean and concise and address small losses in the background and on the table top. Almost always one expects some restoration to be required in the background. For the most part the remainder of the still life seems to be in good state and the objects of the still life are particularly well preserved.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The attribution of Still Life of a 'Semper Augustus' Tulip and Other Flowers has been confirmed by Fred Meijer on the basis of first-hand inspection of the picture.  It is an early work by  Van der Ast and still reflects the influence of his teacher and brother-in-law Ambrosius Bosschaert.  One sees this in the small scale of the painting, the clarity of the presentation and the emphasis on the vertical axis.  Mejier has dated the picture to 1624-25, and it can be related to a group of other still lifes, all of which have bouquets of flowers in Wan-li (late Ming) porcelain vases.  The vases in all are similar but not identical, and probably represent Van der Ast's idea of a Chinese vase rather than being painted after an actual work.¹  The pictures include a slightly earlier panel dated 1623 in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and one sold at Christie's London, December 8, 2005, lot 11, of about the same date.  The present work is more majestic in feeling, with greater depth and clarity.  The magnificent tulip is flanked by a wide variety of other smaller blossoms, all somehow fitting into the delicate gilt-mounted vase.  Van der Ast artfully arranges the cherries and berries on the ledge below, both to attract our eye and to balance the weight of the flowers above.

This painting will be published in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the works of Balthasar van der Ast by Daniëlle Lokin.

1  F.G. Meijer, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Catalogue of the Collection of Paintings.  The Collection of Dutch and Flemish Still-Life Painting Bequeathed by Daisy Linda Ward, Zwolle 2003, p.159.