Property from a European Private Collection

Rachel Ruysch

Still life of flowers, with butterflies, insects, a lizard and toads, beside a pool

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Lot Closed

May 27, 01:13 PM GMT

Estimate

150,000 - 200,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property from a European Private Collection

Rachel Ruysch

The Hague 1664 - 1750 Amsterdam

Still life of flowers, with butterflies, insects, a lizard and toads, beside a pool

signed and dated lower left: Rachel Ruysch / 1687

oil on canvas

unframed: 91 x 61.5 cm.; 35 ⅞ x 24 ¼ in.

framed: 104 x 71.5 cm.; 40 ⅞ x 28 ⅛ in.

The painting is in overall good condition. The canvas is lined, the paint surface is relatively clean, and the varnish is fairly clear, though old and slightly uneven. There are no major damages visible to the naked eye, though in raking light it is possible to discern retouching to a small area of previous damage in the seed pod to the left of the red admiral butterfly, just above centre, and another small area in the background to the left of this; retouching to a line, approx. 7cm. long, extending from the middle of the top of the tree trunk to the thistles; and there is a short, superficial scratch in the leaf to the left of the fly, lower right. The butterflies themselves also appear slightly abraded and retouched, possibly because originally there were real butterfly specimens adhered to the canvas. The yellow pigments in these butterflies, and also in the yellow flowers have degraded slightly over time. The other pigments, and the very fine details of the blooms, leaves and creatures, are well-preserved. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals the old, milky varnish and confirms the aforementioned retouchings and to a very fine line which extends diagonally from the short scratch, and to a small area in the upper right protrusion of the blasted trunk. There are also some spot retouchings scattered in the background in the upper half of the picture, and in the lower right corner. The still life itself appears to be largely untouched and in very good condition. There is a small area of retouching in the red flower above the white rose, and in part of the leaf next to the orange daisy at the bottom of the arrangement.

The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.

Please note that in the Grant monograph of 1956 (see Literature), the painting is listed with dimensions of 91.5 x 71.2 cm., and is illustrated in a wider format, which includes evidently later additions on each side of the canvas. These were removed subsequent to the publication (probably in the late 1950s at the time the parents of the current owner acquired the painting), restoring the work to its original format.

With M. Bernard, London;
With Duits, London;
With Galerie Sankt Lucas, The Hague;
H.N.J.C. van Meerten, The Hague, by 1956;
Acquired by the parents of the present owner in The Hague, 1958;
Thence by descent.

M.H. Grant, Rachel Ruysch 1664-1750, Leigh-on-Sea 1956, p. 27, cat. no. 25, reproduced pl. 13 (where listed with dimensions of 91.5 x 71.2 cm.);

M. Berardi, Science into art: Rachel Ruysch's early development as a still-life painter, doctoral diss., University of Pittsburgh 1998, pp. 356-58, reproduced p. 477, plate 48.