Jan van Os

With Edward Speelman Ltd., London;
Private collection, England, by 1968;
Anonymous sale, New York, Christie's, 18 January 1984, lot 12;
There purchased by the present collectors.

P. Mitchell, Jan van Os, Leigh-on-Sea 1968, p. 22, cat. no. 26, reproduced plate 26.

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 should be hung as is. The condition is lovely. This comparatively large panel seems to be made from a single piece of hard wood that is completely flat. The paint layer is beautifully supported, has received almost no restoration and requires none.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Van Os was the leading Dutch still life painter in the second half of the eighteenth century.  He was a pupil of Aert Schouman in The Hague and was established as an independent master there by 1773.  He began his career painting landscapes and seascapes, later focusing on opulent, minutely observed still lifes in the tradition of his countryman Jan van Huysum (1682-1749).  His superb ability to render flowers, fruit, stone, insects and birds created a steady demand for his work, even outside of his native Holland.  From 1773 he submitted paintings annually to the Society of Artists exhibtions in London and his work continued to be exhibited throughout the 19^th century, first at the British Institution and later at the Royal Academy.  Consequently, a considerable number of his works entered English collections.

This sumptuous still life is a classic example of the artist's diagonal fruit and flower combinations set against a hazy, atmospheric landscape.  A profusion of lush flowers and fruit balance almost magically on a stone ledge while a finch alights on a branch to eat a grape.  On closer observation, meticulously rendered insects such as a dragonly, bee, flies and even tiny ants can be seen among the fruit.  At right a mysterious rocky landscape emerges with a castle, an aqueduct and a figure crossing a bridge over a waterfall.  Works by van Os are difficult to date precisely, but this painting appears to be a mature work by the artist, probably painted in the late 1770s or early 1780s, when van Os was at the height of his artistic powers.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague for confirming the attribution, based on an image.