Balthasar van der Ast, A still life with apricots, cherries, a wild strawberry, red currants, shells and insects. Estimate $400,000–600,000.
This simple yet beautifully observed still life is a wonderful example of Balthasar Van der Ast’s virtuosity on a small scale. Here, the three apricots at center are surrounded by various fruits, insects and rare shells, all on a stone ledge, with a few droplets of fresh water at lower center. Although the objects may seem casually arranged, they are, in fact, carefully placed to create a balanced and naturalistic impression, while the low vantage point and dark shadows add a sense of immediacy and dynamism to the composition. Although van der Ast was initially rooted in the traditions of Jan Brueghel the Elder and Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (his brother in law), his ambitious and realistic paintings, like the present work, allowed him to establish his own artistic reputation that put him at the forefront of Netherlandish still life painting in the first half of the 17th century.