Lot 12
- 12
Balthasar van der Ast
Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 GBP
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Description
- Balthasar van der Ast
- Still life of tulips, roses, an iris and lily of the valley in an ornate glass jug on a stone ledge with a lizard and a shell
- signed lower right: Bvander. Ast.
- oil on oak panel
Provenance
Mrs A.R. Sinclaire, London;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 25 April 1956, lot 155, for £1,400 to Edward Speelman;
With William Hallsborough Gallery, London;
Sidney J. van den Bergh, Wassenaar, 1957;
With Kunsthandel Peter de Boer, Amsterdam, 1958;
Donner collection, England;
With Kunsthandel Peter de Boer, 1989;
From whom acquired by the parents of the present owners.
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 25 April 1956, lot 155, for £1,400 to Edward Speelman;
With William Hallsborough Gallery, London;
Sidney J. van den Bergh, Wassenaar, 1957;
With Kunsthandel Peter de Boer, Amsterdam, 1958;
Donner collection, England;
With Kunsthandel Peter de Boer, 1989;
From whom acquired by the parents of the present owners.
Literature
L.J. Bol, The Bosschaert Dynasty, Leigh-on-Sea 1960, p. 72, no. 19.
Condition
The following condition report is provided by Hamish Dewar, who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's.
UNCONDITIONAL AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Structural Condition
The artist's panel is providing a secure and stable structural support.
Paint surface
The paint surface has an even varnish layer.
Inspection under ultra-violet light shows small scattered retouchings, the most significant of which are:
1) in the upper left of the background, between the tulip and yellow iris, and in the background in the lower left of the composition.
2) Retouchings in the lower left corner, on the pale table top, an area in the upper left of the background, just in from the left vertical framing edge, which measures approximately 1 cm in diameter.
4) Retouchings on the framing edges and other very small scattered retouchings.
It should be noted that there appear to be minimal retouchings on the still life itself.
Summary
The painting would therefore appear to be in very good and stable condition and no further work is required.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
Catalogue Note
While many of Van der Ast’s flower pieces are lavishly composed with a wide assortment of blooms, here he has pared down his composition to a simpler but more elegant form. Four large blooms dominate: two tulips, a yellow iris and a pink rose, with lily-of-the valley, forget-me-nots and rose buds as a supporting cast. His choice of an elegant, restrained composition allows Van der Ast to focus our attention on the beauty of the individual flowers. The clear glass jug allows us to see the stems of the flowers, and as Laurens Bol noted, the S shape of the lizard which turns to look upwards repeats the serpentine form of the ornamented handle of the jug.