Cornelis de Heem

In the collection of the present owner’s family since before the Second World War.

The following condition report is provided by Hamish Dewar who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: Structural Condition The canvas has been lined and this is ensuring an even and secure structural support. There is evidence of some old structural repairs, such as a small circular area in the dark background to the right of the butterfly on the left of the composition. Paint Surface The paint surface has a slightly uneven varnish layer with some frame rubbing and revarnishing would be beneficial to ensure a more even surface coating. Inspection under ultra violet light shows the varnish layers to be very opaque and discoloured making the identification of retouchings difficult under ultra violet light. There are comparatively recent retouchings on the left and right vertical framing edges, a small retouching corresponding to the repair mentioned above to the right of the butterfly and other small scattered retouchings. There may well be other retouchings beneath older varnish layers but it is really only if the painting was to be cleaned that the extent of these retouchings would be clear. The fine details of the still life appear to be essentially well preserved. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in reasonably good and stable condition although it is difficult to be certain as to the extent of retouchings applied in the past.
"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."

This recently discovered vanitas still life was painted by Cornelis de Heem, son of Jan Davidsz., in the late 1650s and is one of the more experimental works in his substantial œuvre. De Heem is best known for his flower and fruit pieces, and works on a vanitas theme by him are highly unusual. He does however here display an extraordinary expertise in the depiction of  the chosen objects, with the intricacies of the underneath of the skull and the ecorché figure particularly well observed.  

There can be few still lifes featuring so many and such overt references to the theme of vanitas. This painting is packed with reminders of the brevity and fragility of human life and existence, most of them obvious in their meaning, like the ecorché figure, the skull, the burning length of rope and the stopped pocket watch. Every object is there to reference the theme in some way, including the fragile wine glass, the flowers in bloom – soon to droop and die – and the burned out candle. The theme itself was popular with prospective buyers for its sermonising tone, but also with artists for the wide variety of surfaces and textures that it allowed them to depict.

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the R.K.D., The Hague, for endorsing the attribution based on photographs. Dr Meijer considers this an exciting rediscovery and dates it relatively early, circa 1659. Comparable foliage and the same porcelain bowl, likewise positioned at an angle, appear in a painting of similar date sold New York, Christie's, 15 April 2008, lot 340. Looking back a little further, there are strong echoes of De Heem's painting dated 1651 in an American private collection.¹ The compositions share very similar pyramidal designs, with the edge of the same table protruding from under a drape lower left, the composition of objects climbing steeply to the right to a large vine leaf at the apex. Both these paintings, and indeed much of De Heem's work from the 1650s, are lit from a source high up to the left creating long diagonal shadows. Interestingly, the artist seems to have painted out an orange jut beneath the skull that must have been defying gravity over the edge of the ledge. He did however leave the blossom in place. 

1. See RKD illustration number 0000112791.