Laurens Craen

Baron Axel Reedtz-Thott, Gavn¢;
With Richard Green, London, 1998;
From whom acquired by the present collector.

U. Thieme & F. Becker, Allegemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler, Leipzig 1907, v. VIII, p. 44;
I. Bergström, Dutch Still Life Painting in the XVII Century, London and New York 1956, p. 302, note 75;
P. Gammelbo, Dutch Still Life Paintings from the 16th-18th centuries in Danish Collcetions, Köbenhaven-Leigh on Sea-Amsterdam 1960, no. 79;
N.R.A. Vroom, A Modest Message as intimated by the painters of the Monochrome Banketje, Schiedam 1980, p. 44, cat. no. 198, fig. 182;
F. Meijer, A Dictionary of Dutch and Flemish Still-life Painters Working in Oils, 1525-1725, Leiden 2003, p. 68.

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 is in beautiful condition and has been recently restored. The panel on which it is painted is a single piece of wood, which is un-reinforced on the reverse. The paint layer is stable and this is a wonderful support for the picture. The paint layer is clean and varnished. There are no signs of instability to the paint layer and no abrasion. Although there appear to be no retouches visible under ultraviolet light and it is always possible that there are retouches which are not visible, the picture seems to be in beautiful state and could be hung as is.
"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 painting bears the date of "1635"; however, Fred Meijer has noted that the digit "5" is a later addition, and thus the picture had been originally dated "63". In fact, a date of 1663 for the present work makes much more sense stylistically, as this very well conceived and executed picture could hardly be the work of a fifteen year old apprentice, which Craen would have been in the year 1635.

Paintings by Craen are quite rare, as only approximately twenty secure works are known. He was active in Middleburg by 1649 during which time he is recorded as having written to Constantin Huygens, reminding him of services offered in The Hague.¹ His earlier works from the mid-1640s show the strong influence of Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1684), which suggests that he might have been associated with de Heem's studio during that time. Although small, certain motifs persist in Craen's output.  Once such motif is the use of impasto to create a series of small bumps along the lemon rind's surface. The grainy and studded texture of the lemon rinds in the present work physically rise from the panel, as if taken directly from nature, thus creating a realistic rendering which borders on trompe l'oeil.

1.   F. Meijer, loc cit., p. 68.