Balthasar van der Ast

On the naked eye: The painting appears in relatively good condition. It is painted on an oak panel made by one non cradled plank. The painting is perfectly stable and has no lifting. The painting has an old and thick varnish, very mat. The painting has been probably formerly strongly cleaned that has removed some of the glaces of the flowers, fruits and the butterfly. The shellfish are well preserved. We cannot see any restorations on the naked eye. Some letters of the signature are hardly visible on the lower right corner. Under UV light: We notice a green thick uniform varnish. There are some restorations on the background. There are also some restoration spots on the fruits on the left and on the 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. 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."

Cette somptueuse nature morte du maître néerlandais  Balthasar Van der Ast, savamment agencée autour d’une corbeille de fleurs  fraiches, est une œuvre très délicate.

Sujet très en vogue en Hollande au XVIIe siècle, la nature morte et sa symbolique forte deviennent le sujet principal de grands artistes nordiques tel qu’Ambrosius Bosschaert l’ancien. Proche de ce dernier dont il est le beau-frère, Van der Ast est un membre imminent de la dynastie des Bosschaert, artistes reconnus pour leur prédilection pour les natures mortes aux fruits et aux fleurs. Cependant Van der Ast se démarque par son originalité ; il insère dans ses compositions des coquillages qui deviennent très vite sa spécialité et qui peuplent la plupart de ses compositions.

L’obscurité émanent de l’arrière-plan et de l’entablement met en valeur les douces couleurs pastels des fleurs et des fruits disposés sur la droite de la corbeille. Un lézard, une abeille ainsi qu’un papillon viennent équilibrer et donner vie à cette nature silencieuse. L’immuable enveloppe des coquillages s’oppose à l’éphémère beauté des fleurs et des fruits dont on devine déjà les premiers signes de déclin. Ceci n’est pas sans évoquer un Memento mori .