Abraham van Beyeren

Jacob Maris (1837-1899), The Hague;

From whose estate acquired by the Gemeentemuseum, The Hague, (inv: 55.2.062), by 1900 until 1957;

With D.H. Cevat, London, 1960;

With H. Terry-Engell, London, 1960;

With F. Kleinberger & Co., New York;

From whom acquired by a private collector, New York, in 1963;

By whom sold ("Property of a New York Private Collector"), New York, Sotheby's, 28 January 1999, lot 439;

Where acquired by the present collector.

Utrecht, Catalogus der tentoonstelling van oude schilderkunst te Utrecht, 20 August – 1 October 1894, no. 260;

The Hague, Gemmente Museum, De Gedekte Tafel in vijf Eeuwen, 20 October - 19 November, 1928, no. 303;

Delft, Prinsenhof, Wintertentoonstelling: van imtimiteit tot theater, 22 December 1951 - 31 January 1952, no. 8;

London, H. Terry-Engell Gallery, Silent World: Exhibition of Still-Life Paintings by Old Masters, 25 October - 3 December 1960, no. 3;

St. Petersburg, Florida, Museum of Fine Arts, Story and Symbol: Dutch and Flemish Paintings from the Collection of Dr. Gordon and Adele Gilbert, 17 September – 4 December 2011, no. 21.

Catalogus der tentoonstelling van oude schilderkunst te Utrecht, exhibition catalogue,  Utrecht 1894, p. 99, cat. no. 260;

De Gedekte Tafel in vijf Eeuwen, exhibition catalogue, The Hague 1928, cat. no. 303;

Gemeente Museum 'S-Gravenhage Catalogue van de Schilderijen Aquarellen en Teekeningen Samengesteld Door Dr. G Knuttel Wzn, The Hague 1935, p. 23, cat. no. 67;

Wintertentoonstelling: van imtimiteit tot theater, exhibition catalogue, Delft 1951-1952, p. 24 cat. no. 8;

J. Bernström and B. Rapp, Iconographica, Stockholm 1957, pp. 17-18, cat. no. 22, reproduced;

Silent World: Exhibition of Still-Life Paintings by Old Masters, exhibition catalogue, London 1960, p. 6, cat. no. 3, reproduced on the cover;

The Connoisseur 147, no. 588 (November 1960), pp. 120-121, reproduced;

A. Cartwright et al., in Story and Symbol: Dutch and Flemish Paintings from the Collection of Dr. Gordon and Adele Gilbert, exhibition catalogue, St. Petersburg, Florida 2011, pp. 60-61, reproduced cat. no. 21.

Abraham van Beyeren’s Still Life of Fish on a Table exemplifies the painter’s mastery of the sumptuous Dutch pronkstilleven, here applied to the humbler subject of the day’s catch. Van Beyeren animates the composition through the interplay of silvery scales, exposed flesh, and glistening surfaces, using light to heighten both texture and immediacy. The casually arranged basket, bucket, and cloth evoke the atmosphere of simple domesticity, yet the painter’s refined handling elevates the scene beyond mere description. Here the artist turns everyday provisions into a disciplined study in light and material presence.