Cornelis de Bryer

Thomas Jones (d.1848), The Charterhouse, Hinton, Somerset;
Thence by descent to the present owner.

Inventory of all the Household Furniture...Paintings, Prints...at Charterhouse Hinton, Somerset, entailed by the Will of the late Thomas Jones Esquire, 1848, p. 6 (as an unknown artist).

The following condition report is provided by Rebecca Gregg who is an external expert and not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas appears in good condition, lined onto a secondary support. The adhesion between the layers appears stable. There are small distinct planar deformations in the lower left corner which are probably due to debris behind the stretcher bar, but there are no significant deformations and the overall tension is good. The paint layers appear in very good condition; there are no recent damages or loss to these layers and the adhesion between the paint and ground layers and the support appears good. There is a slightly raised craqulure across the surface all of which appears stable. There are at least two campaigns of over-paint present, remaining from distinct restoration campaigns. The lower, older campaign present beneath the varnish layer. The majority of this is located in the background of the composition, partially in the centre of above the large leaves. There is a secondary series of over-painting above the varnish. Both campaigns are predominantly located across the background with smaller less significant losses retouched in the central still life. There is a thick natural resin varnish layer present which appears discoloured and fluoresces strongly under ultra violet light. This varnish layer has been partially removed from the lighter areas of the composition and there were also cleaning tests located in the blue and white china bowl and along the right edge. There is also a semi-matt modern varnish layer present on top which is evenly applied. The painting was examined in the frame.
"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."

Little is known of the life and career of Cornelis de Bryer, by whose hand fewer than a dozen works survive today. He is recorded as the pupil of Daniel van Middeler in Antwerp in 1635, but thereafter he did not go on to become a Master in the local Guild. The style of his extant work, however, strongly suggests that he may have settled in that city. Four of his works bear dates between 1651 and 1658, and all bear eloquent witness to the influence of the school of Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1684). One of these, a signed Still life of grapes, roemer and bread in the Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht suggests first hand knowledge of the work of Jan Davidsz. and Cornelis de Heem, while another, formerly in the collection of the Dukes of Beaufort, similarly recalls the work of their contemporary Joris van Son.¹ A signed Still life with fruit and gilt mounted nautilus shell was sold, New York, Sotheby's, 3 June 1988, lot 132, and was later with Rafael Valls, London. Good parallels are afforded by a larger canvas (82 by 115 cm.) formerly with Gebr. Douwes in Amsterdam, in which a very similar arrangement of fruit in a basket is also accompanied by a lobster and oysters on pewter plates on a draped table.

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, for proposing the attribution on the basis of photographs.

1. Sold London, Sotheby's, 10 December 1980, lot 132, as by Cornelis de Heem.