Willem Claesz. Heda
A banquet piece with an overturned tazza and oysters
Estimate:
2,500,000
Property of a Trust
Willem Claesz. Heda
Haarlem circa 1596 - 1680
A banquet piece with an overturned tazza and oysters
signed and dated on the knife lower right: Heda 1635
oil on panel
23 ½ by 31 ½ in.; 59.7 by 80 cm.
The following condition report has been provided by Kirsten Younger of Kirsten Younger Paintings Restoration, 212-288-4370, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
The painting is in very good condition. The panel is made of two pieces of wood and it is thinned and cradled and narrow strips of wood are added along the edges. It is in flat and stable condition. The painting was examined in the frame. The still life elements are finely painted with complex varied brushwork and they are in very good condition throughout. The beautiful thick textured paint of the tablecloth is in good condition with some small retouches in the fold at the left and along the wood grain toward the bottom. There are some small retouches in the plates of some slight thinness along the wood grain and one in the lemon. There is a fine crack in the upper right background along the grain of the wood with retouching along it and a few other scattered retouches in the background that are slightly darkened. There are small retouches along the panel join and retouched areas along the edges of the panel. The signature on the knife is in good condition. There are some small retouches around but not on the letters of the signature and there is a thin layer of varnish over it. The varnish is not noticeably discolored and it fluoresces in uv light.
"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."
Jean Dollfus, Paris;
His sale, Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, 20-21 May 1912, lot 51, to Schnell;
Acquired from the Dollfus Family by a private Swiss collector;
By whom anonymously sold, New York, Sotheby's, 10 January 1991, lot 66;
There acquired by Richard Green (for $1,430,000);
From whom acquired.
N.R.A. Vroom, A Modest Message, Schiedam 1980, vol. II, p. 77, cat. no. 375 (as dated 1649).
New York, Richard Green, Selected Fine Old Master and Impressionist Paintings, 1993;
Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, June 2001 - June 2003, on loan;
Washington, D.C., The Corcoran Museum of Art, June 2003 - July 2005, on loan.