With Edward Speelman Ltd., London;

Private collection, England.

P. Mitchell, Jan van Os, 1744–1808, Leigh-on-Sea 1968, p. 21, cat. no. 21, reproduced pl. 21.

The painting is on wood. The paint surface is clean. To the naked eye there is a vertical 10 cm restored scratch to the lower left corner. Furthermore there are minor losses to the right and left edges of the panel. UV inspection reveals an uneven an thick layer of varnish. Further retouching is also visible to the four corners of the painting. Over all the painting is in excellent condition. Offered in a carver gilded wood frame in very good condition.
"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."

Jan van Os was the leading Dutch still life painter in the second half of the eighteenth century. He studied with Aert Schouman in The Hague and was an independent master there by 1773. Though he also painted landscapes and seascapes, Van Os was famed for his opulent and minutely observed fruit and flower still lifes in the tradition of his countryman Jan van Huysum (1682–1749).

A still life recorded in an English private collection of a more ostentatious compositional arrangement of flowers with shells and a bird's nest at the base, and topped with a pineapple, features a similar glass bowl with two goldfish.¹ The chickadee perched at the top of the arrangement appears in the same pose with its head down in a number of other works by the artist, including the Flowers and Fruit in the Brocklehurst collection, Jersey,² and in a still life by Van Os sold at Sotheby's, New York, 9 June 2011, lot 14. The tiny white mouse with glinting pink eyes, perched high up on the grapes, however, is a rather more unusual character throughout the œuvre of Jan Van Os.

1. Mitchell 1968, p. 21, cat. no. 20, reproduced p♏l. 20.

2. Mitchell 1968, p.🅷 19, cat. no. 9, reproduced pl. 9.