Jean - Michel Picart

Sale, Christie's, London, 13 December 1996, lot 57.

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 recently been restored. The canvas has been lined and the paint layer has been cleaned, varnished and retouched. The retouches address losses here and there throughout the composition and they are clearly visible under ultraviolet light, not in any particular concentration except in the vase and in the lower background. In the upper center and in the white roses there are a couple of fairly significant losses. However, it is the lower portion of the picture, the side of the table top and beneath the table top in the lower center which have received most of the restorations, all of which have been expertly applied. We recommend that the picture be hung as is.
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.

Jean-Michel Picart was born in Antwerp but moved to Paris before 1635 where he set up as a painter and art dealer. He lived in Saint-Germain-des-Prés along with many other of the Flemish artists who emigrated to that city. Picart was interested in collecting and dealing various types of paintings such as Dutch and Flemish landscapes, hunting scenes by Snyders or smaller religious compositions. As a flower painter, he was protected by Henry de Bourbon, bishop of Metz. In 1640, he was elected to the Academy of Saint Luke and in 1651, he became a member of the Royal Academy. Picart received different commissions from the Royal family, and was named as un peintre ordinaire du Roy in several documents. He could compete with such artists as Jacques Linard and Louise Moillon of whom he might have sold the paintings as a dealer. Taking away from the bareness of their compositions, Picart privileged some form of opulence and arrangements of flowers anticipating the art of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer.

Only a few of Picart's works are dated (one, dated 1653, is mentioned and illustrated in M. Faré, Le grand siècle de la nature morte en France, Le XVII^e siècle, Fribourg, 1974, p. 96). The present painting counts as one of these rare examples. Executed in 1648, the elegance and apparent sophistication of this still life with flowers confirm the talent of the artist and his creative genius.