Franz Xaver Petter

Sale: Christie's, London, June 15, 2005, lot 136, illustrated
Private Collection, Europe

This painting has been lined. The surface is smooth, clean and the colors are bright and fresh. Under UV, uneven varnish fluoresces and five small dots of inpainting are revealed in various flowers.
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.

This large flower painting of 1845 is an exquisite example of Petter's art and unites all of the virtues of Viennese flower painting, a hugely popular genre at this time. The Imperial family's enthusiasm for botany, as well as the city's many gardens and greenhouses contributed to a local interest in these paintings and laid a foundation for a generation of exceptional flower painters. 

With its technical perfection and the botanical exactitude of the blossoms, leaves and fruit, this opulent arrangement effectively deceives. These flowers would never have bloomed at the same time as the hyacinths, camellias and auriculas are of the springtime, roses and poppies of midsummer and dahlias and geraniums generally come once these are finished — likewise the ripe fruit. Since it was traditional for Old Master flower paintings to be constructed from previous studies that the artist had made, such technicalities as the seasons did not concern them. Many of these flowers were newly fashionable, since they were introduced into European cultivation from various parts of the world: the geraniums and plumbago from South Africa, the dahlias and nicotiana from Central America and the camellias from the Far East, usually Japan.

We would like to thank Dr. Celia Fisher and Dr. Gerbert Frodl for their assistance in cataloguing this painting.