G. van Bloclant

With Eugene Slatter, London, in 1938;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 11 December 1984, lot 25.

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas is lined and the paint layer is raised and unstable in places with recent loss. The background has been extensively repainted and strengthened due to abrasion of this layer and the dominance of pale shrinkage cracquelure. The paint of the ledge and the flowers is well preserved, particularly the irises, tulips and poppies, although the yellows have been slightly compromised and thus augmented. The varnish is discoloured and its removal would improve the tonality. Offered in a carved gilt wood frame in good condition."
"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."

There is a small group of flower still lifes signed by G. van Bloclant, an artist for whom no records have been found. The signature was first discovered on a Still life with a vase of flowers with de Boer in 1944 which is now in the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle. Fred Meijer has noted that, although there is a strong reminiscence of the work of Jan Philips van Thielen (1618-1667) in these works, the handling looks somewhat more Dutch than Flemish.¹ We are grateful to Mr. Meijer for endorsing the attribution to van Bloclant on the basis of photographs.

 

1. For a full discussion of this group of paintings, see A. van der Willigen and F. G. Meijer, A Dictionary of Dutch and Flemish Still-life Painters Working in Oils, 1525-1725, Leiden 2003, pp. 38-9.