- 71
Johannes Bouman
Description
- Johannes Bouman
- A still life with pears and apples on a stone ledge
- oil on panel, shaven on the right edge
Condition
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Not much of the artist's life is recorded nor is Bouman's oeuvre well studied. His fruit still lifes show the influence of Balthasar van der Ast (1593/4 -1657), but also attest to Bouman's own characteristic handling, in particular the robust forms of the fruit. Here the fruits are situated close to the picture plane and their bold forms are surrounded by the irregular contour lines of the leaves. The straightforwardness of the image is strengthened by the limited palette with its rich colour contrasts. A comparable, but more elaborate composition is in the Musée de Strasbourg (inv. no. 379), which is signed and dated 1635.1 Both the present work and the Strasbourg picture deviate from Bouman's compositional norm, since in both pictures the fruit is placed directly on the stone ledge and not in a bowl or basket.
1. See E. Gemar-Koeltzsch, Holländische Stillebenmaler im 17. Jahrhundert, Lingen 1995, vol. 2, p. 182, reproduced.