Willem van Aelst
Still life with grapes in a basket, peaches on a silver dish, medlars, two butterflies, a fly and a snail, all on a red velvet cloth over a partially draped ledge
Estimate:
1,000,000
Property of a Trust
Willem van Aelst
Willem van Aelst
Still life with grapes in a basket, peaches on a silver dish, medlars, two butterflies, a fly and a snail, all on a red velvet cloth over a partially draped ledge
Still life with grapes in a basket, peaches on a silver dish, medlars, two butterflies, a fly and a snail, all on a red velvet cloth over a partially draped ledge
Estimate:
1,000,000
Lot sold:
1,230,000
USD
Property of a Trust
Willem van Aelst
Delft 1627 - 1683 Amsterdam
Still life with grapes in a basket, peaches on a silver dish, medlars, two butterflies, a fly and a snail, all on a red velvet cloth over a partially draped ledge
signed upper right: Guill.mo van Aelst.
oil on canvas
29 ½ by 22 ¼ in.; 74.9 by 56.5 cm.
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 is in particularly good condition. The exacting details throughout the composition show no damage or weakness at all. Under ultraviolet light, retouches are visible in the lower left corner and in the red velvet tablecloth to the left of the grape leaf. There are a few other small spots of retouching in the red velvet beneath the silver plate. The work should be hung in its current state.
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.
Bas de Geus van den Heuvel, Amsterdam and Nieuwersluis, 1963-1976;
By whom sold, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 30 April 1976, lot 36;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 30 March 1979, lot 36;
Bücker collection, Düren, 1981;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 10 July 1998, lot 27;
With Johnny van Haeften, London and Otto Naumann, New York, by 1999;
From whom acquired by the present collectors.
T. Paul, 'Beschildert met een Glans': Willem van Aelst and artistic self-consciousness in seventeenth-century Dutch still life painting, PhD diss., Charlottesville 2008, pp. 128, 212-214, 291, 359, reproduced plate 47;
T. Paul, Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Aelst, exhibition catalogue, New York 2012, pp. 163-165, cat. no. 27, reproduced.
Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum, 1951-1952 and 1957-1958;
Arnhem, Gemeentemuseum, Collectie B. de Geus van den Heuvel te Nieuwersluis, 11 December 1960 - 26 February 1961, no. 1;
Haarlem, Frans Halsmuseum, De landman en de muze: een tentoonstelling van schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, grafiek, beeldhouwwerken en handschriften, 14 June 1965 - 29 August 1965, no. 1;
Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts; Washington D.C., National Gallery of Art, Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Aelst, 11 March 2012 - 14 October 2012, no. 27.