Jan Baptist van Fornenburgh

Anonymous sale, Stockholm, Bukowski, September 24, 1931 (as Ambrosius Bosschaert);
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam, 1934;
Private Collection, Wassenaar, April 1970;  
From whom acquired by P. de Boer, Amsterdam;
Acquired by the present owner in 1970.

Amsterdam, Kunsthandle P. de Boer, Helsche en Fluweelen Brueghel, 1934, no. 263 (as Johannes  Bosschaert);
Paris, Grand Palais, 26 September – 18 October 1970, no. 1.

Helsche en Fluweelen Brueghel, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam 1934, no. 263, reproduced no. 34 (as Johnanus Bosschaert Fecit);
P. Gammelbo, Artes, (Periodical of Fine Arts) vol. I, Copenhagen October 1965, pp. 5/16, cat no. II, reproduced plate IV;
Foire des Antiquaires, Grand Palais, Paris, catalogue supplement from the Galerie P. de Boer exhibition, Amsterdam, September 26 – October 18, 1970, no. 1, reproduced;
L. J. Bol, Goede Onbekenden, Utrecht 1982, p. 87, reproduced fig. 1;
E. Gemar-Koeltzsch, Holländische Stillebenmaler im 17. Jahrhundert, vol. II, Lingen 1995, p. 354, no. 128/5, reproduced p. 355.

"The following condition report has been provided by Sarah Walden, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is on a strong oak panel, bevelled irregularly at each edge, with one central joint. This has been reglued in the past with a line of retouching that is narrow in the centre through the flowers but wider at the base and at the top. There has been some slight past movement down the left side, with a thin line of more recent retouching lower down, where there seem to have been minute lost flakes. One other brief old crack with darkened old retouching is in the top right corner, but the panel appears to have long been stable and naturally flat, with any apparent recent movement on the left an aberration. Accumulated varnish layers muffle the surface, however the flowers and the still life itself appear beautifully intact. Little lines of darkened retouching along the grain in the wood can be seen in the inner background as it lightens towards the right of the niche, and the darker reaches of the inner background may have further old strengthening. In the centre there is some thinness in the dark background behind the flowers, and the more transparent petal of the central lily has tiny strengthening lines of retouching, as has the tulip although there it is minimal. The outer architecture is well preserved apart from the retouching spreading from each side of the central joint at the top and base, probably overlapping original paint. The rather messy surface of the painting makes such areas hard to penetrate, but the still life with the lizard and vase of flowers in all its fine detail remains clearly intact. This report was not done under laboratory conditions."
"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."

The present composition is repeated with some minor differences in Fornenburgh's painting of 1628, signed and dated, present whereabouts unknown (see E. Gemar-Koeltzsch, Holländische Stillebenmaler im 17. Jahrhundert, vol. II, Lingen 1995, pp. 353-4, no. 128/1, wrongly dated as 1608), and in a smaller work signed and dated 1635, last recorded with D.M. Koetser Collection, Zurich (see L. J. Bol, Goede Onbekenden, Utrecht 1982, p. 88, fig. 4). Thus a dating of circa 1630-35 can be suggested for the present work.