Ottomar Elliger the Elder

Fritz Schmid (b. circa 1860), married to Amalia Paganini;
Thence by family descent to Nicolas Bischoff-Schmid, Basel (1928–87);
Thence by inheritance to the present owner.

The canvas has a fairly old relining, the paint surface is rather dirty and the varnish is rather uneven and has dulled somewhat. The painting is in overall very good condition and would benefit from a light clean and new varnish. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals the old, milky varnish beneath which it is difficult to discern previous restoration, but there appear to be only very few, minor scattered spot retouchings and hardly any intervention. Offered in a gilt wood frame in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Elliger lived and worked in the Netherlands, Denmark and latterly in Germany, where he became court painter in Berlin. According to Arnold Houbraken he was a pupil of Daniel Seghers. The motif of a single spider hanging down within a still-life garland is found in another painting attributed to Elliger, sold London, Christie's, 13 December 2002, lot 142.

We are grateful to Dr Fred G. Meijer for endorsing the attribution to Elliger on the basis of digital images.