- 229
Willem van Aelst
Estimate
30,000 - 40,000 GBP
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Description
- Willem van Aelst
- a still life with tulips and other flowers in a vase on a marble ledge, with a lizard and a butterfly
oil on oak panel
Provenance
Lt. Col. G. B. Bryant, OBE, MC;
Earl of Drogheda (according to an inscription on the reverse);
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Christie's, 27 June 1969, lot 92 (as Rachel Ruysch and as one of a pair, with the following lot).
Earl of Drogheda (according to an inscription on the reverse);
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Christie's, 27 June 1969, lot 92 (as Rachel Ruysch and as one of a pair, with the following lot).
Exhibited
Leamington Spa, Leamington Spa Art Gallery, Art Treasures of Warwickshire Exhibition, 29 May - 3 July 1948 (as Rachel Ruysch).
Condition
The support consists of a single uncradled panel, bevelled on all four edges. There is an old vertical hairline split descending the height of the panel 7 cm in from the right hand edge. The painting is now dirty and the old varnish layer degraded and patchy. There is a small filled knot on the right of the panel in the centre. Inspection under ultra violet light is impeded by the old varnish but the paint surface appears to be in very good overall condition. There has been some old minor retouching to parts of the background and to many parts of the marble ledge in the foreground, but the more thickly painted blooms appear very well preserved and only very minor local spot retouching is visible here to the iris. Some of the greens have turned slightly blue due to naturally fugitive yellow pigments.
Offered with a later pierced gilt wood frame in good 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."
"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
Both this and the following lot display strong similarities and similar dimensions to a work by Van Aelst sold in London, Christie's, 25 April 2008, lot 27, which has since been cleaned to reveal a signature and the date 1651/2. It is possible that together these works formed part of a series, created whilst Van Aelst was working in Florence as court painter to Ferdinando II de' Medici between 1649 and 1656.
We are grateful to Drs. Fred G. Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs.