Beschreibung:

The Property of a FamilyAmbrosius Bosschaert the YoungerArnemuiden 1609 - 1645 UtrechtFloral still life with a rose, wallflower, tulip, white rose, dog rose, columbines, African violets and an iris in a glass vase, with a caterpillar, blowfly, thistle butterfly, frog and a sand lizard on a stone plinth
oil on oak panelpanel: 16½ by 10⅞ in.; 41.9 by 27.6 cm. framed: 22⅜ by 16⅞ in.; 56.8 by 42.9 cm.Condition reportThe panel is uncradled and very slightly bowed. The overall image presents strongly beneath a slightly yellowed varnish. The elements of the butterfly, the frog, and the lizard retain a notable vibrancy and crispness, and the floral elements appear well preserved. Thinning is apparent in the background beneath which the vertical wood grain is visible in some areas, and there are some small, scattered losses along the edges due to frame abrasion. Inspection under UV reveals a thick and milky varnish which impedes some inspection, and beneath which there appears to be an older campaign of select retouches. The work could certainly hang as is but could perhaps benefit from a new varnish. Offered in a decorative frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceWith Dr. Curt Benedict, Paris, 1956;
With Saam Nijstad, Lochem & The Hague, 1957;
From whom acquired by M.J. Countess van Lynden van Sandenburgh (1903-1983), The Hague;
Thence by descent to the present owners.
LiteratureL.J. Bol, The Bosschaert dynasty: painters of flowers and fruit, Leigh-on-Sea 1960, p. 93, no. 10, reproduced fig. 52b.;
L.J. Bol, Nederlandse stillevens uit de zeventiende eeuw, exhibition catalogue, Dordrecht 1962, p. 21, cat. no. 30a, reproduced fig. 33;
L.J. Bol, ‘Goede onbekenden, VII. Schilders van het vroege Nederlandse bloemstuk met kleingedierte als bijwerk, Ambrosius Bosschaert de Jonge, Ambrosius Bosschaert en Jacob Marrell’, in Tableau 3, no. 5 (1981), p. 642, reproduced fig. 2.;
L.J. Bol, Goede Onbekenden…, Utrecht, 1982, p. 61, reproduced fig. 2;
S. Segal, in N. Bakker et al, Masters of Middelburg: Exhibition in the Honour of Laurens J. Bol, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam 1984, pp. 68 and 164, cat. no. 24, reproduced p. 165.ExhibitedDordrecht, Dordrechts Museum, Nederlandse stillevens uit de zeventiende eeuw, 21 July - 1 September 1962, no. 30a;
Amsterdam, Kunsthandel K. & V. Waterman, Masters of Middelburg, March 1984, no. 24.Catalogue noteAmbrosius Bosschaert the Younger was the eldest son of Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (1573-1621), patriarch of the so-called “Bosschaert Dynasty” of Utrecht painters and one of the first Dutch specialists in fruit and flower painting. From his father, Ambrosius the Younger inherited not only an affinity for botanical subjects but also an unmistakable skill and technical ability showcased in the present picture. The rich, polychrome bouquet of wild and cultivated flowers, displayed in a simple glass vase atop a stone slab, is set against a monochrome background. Rendered with meticulous naturalism and botanical detail, the balanced and curated arrangement consists of variously colored tulips and a yellow variegated iris, blue columbine, pink briar rose, cabbage rose, and yellow wallflower, along with two butterflies and a caterpillar. The composition is further enlivened by the presence of a blowfly, a sinuous sand lizard, and an ‘Utrecht toad’, which appears in identical form in works by Roelant Savery (1576-1639) and Johannes Bosschaert (1607-1628).
Widely accepted as dating to circa 1630, this beautiful botanical still life is characteristic of Ambrosius the Younger’s early works prior to 1634, at the peak of his father’s stylistic influence.1 We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer for suggesting a more precise dating of 1627, supported by a comparison of the present picture with a signed and dated still life of the same year, formerly in the Detroit Institute of Arts and sold at Sotheby’s London, July 10, 2008, lot 155.2 Bosschaert appears to have benefited from a close circle of distinguished still life artists including his father and two brothers, his close friend Roelant Savery, and his uncle, Balthasar van der Ast The distinctive yellow iris at the pinnacle of the present work’s bouquet also appears in Ambrosius the Elder’s painting of 1621, sold in these rooms, January 38, 2021, lot 38, and a still life by Van der Ast in the Mauritshuis museum collection in The Hague.2
 We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer for endorsing the present attribution to Ambrosius the Younger on the basis of digital photographs.
1 Laurens J. Bol suggests that the present work likely dates to 1632 or 1633 (see Bol 1982, p. 61); According to Sam Segal, it is datable to around 1630 (see Segal 1984, p. 68).2 Sold Sotheby’s New York, 28 January 2021, lot 38, oil on copper, 35.2 by 25 cm.; Inv. no. 1073, oil on panel, 41 by 32 cm.