Jan van Os

Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 27 January 2006, lot 243;
With Colnaghi, London.

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 appears to be unlined. The tacking edges have been reinforced. The stretcher is old. The paint layer is clean and varnished. It is very difficult to positively identify retouches under ultraviolet light examination, but to the naked eye, it seems that a few cracks in the center of the left side have possibly been retouched. It is doubtful that there are any retouches of any note. There certainly are no visible damages, and the condition seems to be particularly good overall.
"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."

Jan van Os was the leading Dutch still life painter in the second half of the18th century. He studied with Aert Schouman in The Hague and was an independent master there by 1773.  Though he also painted landscapes and seascapes, van Os was famed for his opulent and minutely observed fruit and flower still lifes in the tradition of his countryman Jan van Huysum (1682-1749).  In this example, van Os has typically set his still life arrangement on a stone ledge beyond which can be seen a pale, green landscape.  This work is unusual in that, in addition to the usual flowers and fruit, van Os has included an array of sumptuous foods, including oysters, mussels and smoked herrings, together with a decanter and glass of wine.

Van Os’s son, Georgius Jacobus Johannes, was also an accomplished still life painter, following closely in the style of his father (see Lot 76).