Edwaert Collier

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 24 April 1998, lot 62;
There acquired by the present collector.

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 picture has not been restored for many years. It is noticeably dirty. The old lining is reasonably effective, but a vertical damage above the shell on the book on the left is badly filled. If this cannot be properly filled, the lining may need to be changed. There is one other recent loss in the upper center. To the naked eye, one can see that the calligraphy and image on the documents are all un-abraded and the details in the globe are similarly well preserved. It is doubtful that any abrasion would become apparent if and when the picture is cleaned. Under ultraviolet light, the old dirt layer blocks any identification of retouches. However, there seem to be retouches down the left side, to a vertical crack above the scroll in the upper right, to one vertical damage to the right of the skull, and to one loss in the dark side of the tablecloth towards the lower right. There may be other small restorations, but the condition of the work is certainly very good. Cleaning would certainly be fruitful.
"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."

Collier was born in Breda and trained in Haarlem in the early 1660s, where he is recorded in a list of guild members.  The artist's residence in Leiden is fully documented from 1667 to 1693, after which time he worked in London, returning to Leiden from circa 1702 to 1706.  It appears that he was working again in England by 1707, as his last known work is dated to that year and inscribed fecit London. 

This painting is a variant of Collier's still life in the Heinz collection, Washington, which is signed and dated, E.kolier. 1663.¹

We are grateful to Fred. G. Meijer for endorsing the attribution and suggesting a dating close to that of the painting in the Heinz collection.

I. Bergström and A.K. Wheelock, Still Lifes of the Golden Age: Northern European Paintings from the Heinz family collection, exhibition catalogue, Washington DC 1989, p.102, cat. no. 11.