Edwaert CollierBreda 1642 - 1708 LondonA trompe l’œil of newspapers, letters and writing implements on a wooden board
signed and dated centre left: E. Colier / 1698oil on canvasunframed: 60 x 47.5 cm.; 23⅝ x 18¾ in.framed: 73.2 x 61.5 cm.; 28¾ x 24¼ in.Condition reportThe canvas is lined and the paint surface is covered in a evenly applied layer of slightly discoloured varnish. There are minute paint losses in the top right corner and in the top centre. The paint surface is slightly worn, and there is a pronounced craquelure particularly evident in the whites. There is some slightly discoloured retouching visible to the naked eye in the top right and bottom left of the painting. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms the aforementioned retouching, and reveals further campaigns of restoration along the top right corner, along an old tear in the top right measuring approximately 7 cm across, in the centre of the canvas (running horizontally) and in scattered areas throughout the canvas including on the comb and various areas of the red ribbons and wood graining.The painting is in a fairly good condition and is presented in a frame.
"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."ProvenanceWith Rafael Valls, London;
From whom acquired by the present owner in 1986.Catalogue noteThis trompe l’œil still life by the Dutch-born Edwaert Collier might be interpreted as a playful contemplation on the worldly pursuits of man. Firstly, this painting presents the extraordinary skill of the artist in his ability to trick and deceive the eye. The composition, featuring writing implements and papers attached to mock wooden boards by red leather straps, is rendered to entice the viewer to reach out and pick up these objects. Aside from these visual jokes, a second and more deeper look at the objects contained here reveals a far more serious interpretation. Following from the tradition of vanitas still lifes, where the transience of worldly pursuits were emphasized, the objects here are suggestive of man's ambitions in the realms of politics and celebrity. A copy of 'The London Newspaper' in the top left corner may represent the cares of the state, public renown and temporal actions. The large paper in the middle, which contains a printed Address of the right honourable the Lords Spiritual & Temporal in Parliament, is suggestive of man's pursuits in the theatre of politics and statecraft. In the bottom right a small folded booklet entitled 'Memory' is dramatically impaled upon a bone-handled knife. In the centre are papers bearing wax seals, undoubtedly containing some important contents, that remain neglected and unopened. In comparison to the writing quill and red sealing wax, a tortoiseshell comb might be suggestive of vanity connected to personal appearance.
Several surviving versions of this composition, with minor additions, attests to the format's popularity in late seventeenth-century England. The closest comparative work, in terms of arrangement of objects, is preserved in Tate Britain.1 Several other examples with similar arrangements of papers and letters, most often including a pair of scissors on the left, have sold on the art market in recent decades.2
1 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/collier-a-trompe-loeil-of-newspapers-letters-and-writing-implements-on-a-wooden-board-t038532 Christie's, New York, 9 June 1978, lot 61; Sotheby's, New York, 7 November 1984, lot 16; Bonhams, London, 9 July 2003, lot 53; and Sotheby's, New York, 28 January 2010, lot 262.
Edwaert CollierBreda 1642 - 1708 LondonA trompe l’œil of newspapers, letters and writing implements on a wooden board
signed and dated centre left: E. Colier / 1698oil on canvasunframed: 60 x 47.5 cm.; 23⅝ x 18¾ in.framed: 73.2 x 61.5 cm.; 28¾ x 24¼ in.Condition reportThe canvas is lined and the paint surface is covered in a evenly applied layer of slightly discoloured varnish. There are minute paint losses in the top right corner and in the top centre. The paint surface is slightly worn, and there is a pronounced craquelure particularly evident in the whites. There is some slightly discoloured retouching visible to the naked eye in the top right and bottom left of the painting. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms the aforementioned retouching, and reveals further campaigns of restoration along the top right corner, along an old tear in the top right measuring approximately 7 cm across, in the centre of the canvas (running horizontally) and in scattered areas throughout the canvas including on the comb and various areas of the red ribbons and wood graining.The painting is in a fairly good condition and is presented in a frame.
"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."ProvenanceWith Rafael Valls, London;
From whom acquired by the present owner in 1986.Catalogue noteThis trompe l’œil still life by the Dutch-born Edwaert Collier might be interpreted as a playful contemplation on the worldly pursuits of man. Firstly, this painting presents the extraordinary skill of the artist in his ability to trick and deceive the eye. The composition, featuring writing implements and papers attached to mock wooden boards by red leather straps, is rendered to entice the viewer to reach out and pick up these objects. Aside from these visual jokes, a second and more deeper look at the objects contained here reveals a far more serious interpretation. Following from the tradition of vanitas still lifes, where the transience of worldly pursuits were emphasized, the objects here are suggestive of man's ambitions in the realms of politics and celebrity. A copy of 'The London Newspaper' in the top left corner may represent the cares of the state, public renown and temporal actions. The large paper in the middle, which contains a printed Address of the right honourable the Lords Spiritual & Temporal in Parliament, is suggestive of man's pursuits in the theatre of politics and statecraft. In the bottom right a small folded booklet entitled 'Memory' is dramatically impaled upon a bone-handled knife. In the centre are papers bearing wax seals, undoubtedly containing some important contents, that remain neglected and unopened. In comparison to the writing quill and red sealing wax, a tortoiseshell comb might be suggestive of vanity connected to personal appearance.
Several surviving versions of this composition, with minor additions, attests to the format's popularity in late seventeenth-century England. The closest comparative work, in terms of arrangement of objects, is preserved in Tate Britain.1 Several other examples with similar arrangements of papers and letters, most often including a pair of scissors on the left, have sold on the art market in recent decades.2
1 https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/collier-a-trompe-loeil-of-newspapers-letters-and-writing-implements-on-a-wooden-board-t038532 Christie's, New York, 9 June 1978, lot 61; Sotheby's, New York, 7 November 1984, lot 16; Bonhams, London, 9 July 2003, lot 53; and Sotheby's, New York, 28 January 2010, lot 262.
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