Otto Marseus van Schriek, called Snuffelaer

Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 25 May 2000, lot 40, where acquired.

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 work is in impressive condition. It is slightly dirty, but reads very well. One can see retouches around the edges under ultraviolet light and across an original horizontal canvas join above the tulip. This canvas join is slightly raised at present, and it could be much improved if the lining were re-examined. However, the work can also easily be hung in its current condition.
"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."

Otto Marseus van Schrieck was one of the leading painters of the “forest floor” still life. Depicting with meticulous detail the creatures and plants of the forest undergrowth, often in nocturnal settings, this sub-genre had a great vogue in the mid-17^th century.

Marseus is thought to have trained in Amsterdam and is known to have traveled to England, France and Italy where he worked for Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand II de Medici. After his return to Amsterdam, he established his “Waterrijck,” or wetlands in the rural surroundings of Diemen where he cultivated plants and insects for his own study.¹  His nickname Snuffelaer—the sniffer—was a reflection of his inquisitive nature.  In this painting we see a variety of mushrooms and flowers, including morning glories and a tulip, a frog, a snake and various butterflies.  The motif of the snake eating the butterfly, and the decaying vegetation are probably allusions to the transience of life.

Fred G. Meijer of the RKD, The Hague has seen this painting firsthand and confirmed the attribution.

1.  See A. van der Willigen and F.G. Meijer, A Dictionary of Dutch and Flemish Still-life Painters Working in Oils, 1525-1725, Leiden 2003, p. 139.