Maria van Oosterwijck

In the family of the present owner by 1930.

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 on canvas has a glue lining, which should be replaced in order to lessen the raised cracking. It is this cracking which has probably attracted most of the retouches. The only real paint loss is in the upper right background, where there is a very poor attempt at restoration. There is a scratch in the center of the right edge that has been retouched; the remainder of the retouches has probably been applied to lessen the visual effect of the cracking. However, no restorations are clearly visible under ultraviolet light. The flowers are all very well preserved. It is possible that the orange lily in the upper center has received some restoration. If the lining is changed, and the painting cleaned and retouched accurately, it should improve dramatically. The amount of retouching will depend on the amount of cracking.
"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."

This previously unrecorded still life by Maria van Oosterwijck, signed and dated 1675, marks an interesting addition to the artist’s corpus.  Oosterwijck has constructed a loose composition, choosing a large selection of papery foliage and bright blossoms and placing them against a dark background.  Through the apparently random positioning of the flowers, the painter creates a convincing sense of depth and perspective to the arrangement.  The waxy surface of the lilies is juxtaposed with the delicate, lace wings of the butterfly below them and the creased, paperlike ribbons of the variegated leaves, each executed with remarkable realism. 

Maria van Oosterwijck was the daughter of a clergyman and is believed to have studied under Jan Davidz. de Heem whose influence was evident throughout her career.  She achieved considerable attention and acclaim in her own lifetime, counting among her patrons Louis XIV of France and Emperor Leopold I.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer for endorsing the attribution of this lot to Maria van Oosterwijck on the basis of photographs.