A gold-mounted miniature of a still life painted on ivory, Gerard van Spaendonck, Paris, circa 1785

This lot contains ivory. Due to recent changes in the laws of many countries (e.g. US, France) Sotheby's recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid. Please note that Sotheby's will not assist buyers with CITES licence applications where a buyer elects to either collect or arrange their own shipping, nor will Sotheby's assist with the international movement of ivory by air, either as freight or through hand carry. Sotheby's shipping will only assist in shipping the lot to either domestic UK or EU destinations, where delivery is made by road transport. A buyer's inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or sale cancellation.

Paris, Palais Galliéra, G.P. Laurin, Gauillaux & Buffetaud, Paris, 4 April 1974, lot 20

In 1746, Gerard van Spaendonck was born in Tilburg, in the southern Netherlands. Having studied in Antwerp with Willem Jacob Herreyns, he moved to Paris in 1769 and five years later, he was appointed miniature painter at the court of Louis XVI. Van Spaendonck, whose brother Cornelis van Spaendonck (1756–1839) was also an accomplished painter and head of the porcelain works at Sèvres, subsequently became professor of floral painting at the Jardin des Plantes in 1780. Shortly thereafter, he was elected as a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. In 1804 he received the Légion d'honneur. Gerard van Spaendonck died in Paris in 1822.