Cornelis van Spaendonck

Possibly with Guy Stein, Paris, 1936;
With D. Katz, Dieren, 1938;
Possibly with the Schaeffer Galleries, New York and San Francisco, from 1939 until at least 1942;
Possibly Madame Brière, 1946 (according to a photo archive card at the Frick Reference Library)
A. Welker, London, by 1951;
With Martin Ascher, London;
Bertha Tilly;
By whose estate sold, New York, Sotheby’s, 15 January 1987, lot 52;
There acquired by the late collector.

Possibly Paris, Louvre, Salon, 1802, no. 300 (as 'des fleurs dans un vase de cristal posé sur une table d'albâtre, sur laquelle on voit des grenades et une grappe de raisins');
Possibly Paris, Galerie Guy Stein, Exposition de peinture ancienne et modernes des fleurs et des fruits, February 1936, no. 43 (as Fleurs);
Possibly San Francisco, Schaeffer Galleries, Paintings by Dutch Masters, May 1939, no. 11 (as Flower Still Life);
Bloomington, Indiana University Museum of Fine Arts, 1942;
New York, Schaeffer Galleries, February 1942, no. 265.

M. van Boven and S. Segal, Gerard & Cornelis van Spaendonck: twee Brabantse bloemenschilders in Parijs, Maarsen 1988, p. 204, cat. no. 207, reproduced.

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 has not been recently restored and would benefit from cleaning. The canvas has an old lining, but the paint layer is stable with only slightly raised cracking across the top edge. Under ultraviolet light, one can see retouches to isolated losses in the center of the bottom edge, across the top, and to cracking in the background. In the still life itself, a few isolated cracks have also been retouched. There are no signs of abrasion or structural damage. It is recommended that the work be cleaned and more accurately retouched, but it is in good 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."

Cornelis van Spaendonck was trained in Antwerp and moved to Paris in 1773, following his elder brother, Gerard, who had settled there three years earlier. Cornelis joined the Sèvres porcelain factory as a flower painter, eventually becoming director from 1785-1800. Both Cornelis and his brother adopted French versions of their names and most of their paintings are signed accordingly.

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs.