AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT the Elder (Antwerp 1573–1621 The Hague) Bouquet of flowers in a Roemer glass set in a niche. Circa 1620. Oil on copper. Monogrammed lower left: AB (ligature). 26.3 × 17.1 cm. Provenance: - Noble collection, Rhineland. - Sale Theodor Bauer, Berlin, 12.5.1928, Lot 46. - European private collection. Literature: Laurens Johannes Bol: The Bosschaert Dynasty. Painters of flowers and fruit, Leigh-on-Sea 1960, p. 65, no. 36. Recently rediscovered in a private collection, this colourful and high quality bouquet on a copper plate is a remarkable addition to the previously known œuvre of the flower still life painter Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. It is a characteristic example of his late artistic phase. A colourful bouquet is placed in a roemer glass in a vaulted stone niche. On the base, the composition is enlivened by a butterfly and two shells. The bouquet is composed of a variety of flowers, all arranged so that they barely overlap, thereby skilfully showcasing their uniqueness. Two different rose blossoms with buds are shown, along with a flamed tulip, a lily of the valley branch, a violet, rosemary leaves, forget-me-nots, a blue star-of-Bethlehem, a pansy, bluebells, a carnation and other foliage. The bouquet is crowned by a Siberian iris. Dr Fred G. Meijer, who studied the still life on the basis of a photograph (for which we thank him), dates it to the 1620s and describes it as an excellent example from the late work of Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder is considered one of the pioneers of the independent flower still life at the beginning of the 17th century. Little is known about his artistic beginnings. Born in Antwerp, he moved with his family to Middelburg at a young age. There he became one of the first specialists in the field of flower painting. The interest of numerous amateur botanists, who cultivated plants and rare species in their gardens, probably particularly encouraged the demand for flower still lifes as a separate genre in painting. From 1593 to 1613, Bosschaert was listed in the St. Lucas Guild, but he also worked as an art dealer. In 1615 Bosschaert first went to Bergen op Zoom, from 1616-1619 to Utrecht and from 1619-1621 to Breda. He died in The Hague in 1621 while delivering a flower still life to his commissioner Frederick van Schurman, the bottelier of Prince Maurits of Orange (1567–1625). The painting is now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington (dated 1621, oil on copper, 31.6 x 21.6 cm, inv. no. 1996.35.1). Our flower still life may also have been painted in Breda. Laurens Johannes Bol pointed out that the flowers depicted in Bosschaert's bouquets never actually bloomed at the same time and should therefore be seen as a composed arrangement (Bol 1960, p. 20 ff). The most precious types of flowers are combined into a single work. For this, Bosschaert had not only examples from nature but also a number of botanical drawings and printed illustrations as models, such as those in the florilegia of Rembertus Dodonaeus (1516–1585) and Carolus Clusius (1526–1609), two important botanists of the 16th century, as well as the prints of Adriaen Collaert (c. 1560–1618). Compared to the also copper-plated bouquet of flowers sold at Koller in 2008 (ill. 1) and which is an example of Bosschaert's early work, this still life is characterised by an increase in spatial depth and precision of architectural background design. While the early bouquet still has a monochrome background, the vault of the niche can now be seen, enlarging the pictorial space in the background. The three-dimensionality of the flowers and leaves is thus perfected and the volume of the bouquet accented. Shadow reflections of the individual flowers and leaves can be seen on the stone back wall, further enhancing the overall spatial impression. These characteristics can also be found in the bouquet by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder in the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, which is dated 1618 (oil on copper, 55.5 x 39.5 cm, inv. no. KMSsp211). Here, too, sea snails are depicted, and their detailed reproduction makes it possible to identify them. In the 17th century, shells and sea snails came to Holland on the ships of the Dutch East and West India Companies and were sold to collectors for sometimes large sums of money. As 'Naturalia', curiosities and objects of scientific study, they found their way into both courtly and bourgeois art and collector's cabinets. Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) is exemplary in his Portrait of the Dutch merchant Jan Govertsz. van der Aar (c. 1544–1612) from 1603, in which he proudly presents his collection of sea shells to the viewer (oil on canvas, 107.5 x 83 cm, Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, loan from P. and N. de Boer Foundation 1960, inv. no. 3450). The accurate reproduction of the small animals in our painting enables conchologists and lepidopterologists to identify the species. Thus, a marbled cone snail and a Cuban painted snail, Polymita picta picta, can be found at the bottom right of the stone slab. The butterfly on the left is a Queen of Spanish fritillary (ill. 2). Ambrosius Bosschaert's monogram, consisting of the intertwined initials A and B, can also be seen at the bottom left of the niche. The arrangement may recall the work of Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), who was active a hundred years earlier, and whose monogram appears in a comparable way. Dürer was one of the first artists to include precise observation of nature in his work. Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder thus aligned himself with the tradition of scientific observation and demonstrated his own esteem and position in art history at the beginning of the 17th century in the Netherlands. ------------------------------------------------- AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT d. Ä. (Antwerpen 1573–1621 Den Haag) Blumenstrauss in einem Römerglas in einer Nische. Um 1620. Öl auf Kupfer. Links unten monogrammiert AB (ligiert). 26,3 × 17,1 cm. Provenienz: - Rheinischer Adelsbesitz. - Auktion Theodor Bauer, Berlin, 12.5.1928, Los 46. - Europäische Privatsammlung. Literatur: Laurens Johannes Bol: The Bosschaert Dynasty. Painters of flowers and fruit, Leigh-on-Sea 1960, S. 65, Nr. 36. Kürzlich in einer Privatsammlung wiederentdeckt, stellt dieser farbenfrohe und qualitätsvolle Blumenstrauss auf einer Kupfertafel eine bemerkenswerte Bereicherung für das bislang bekannte Oeuvre des Blumenstilllebenmalers Ambrosius Bosschaert d. Ä. dar. Es handelt sich hierbei um ein charakteristisches Beispiel seiner künstlerischen Spätphase. In einer gewölbten Steinnische findet sich ein farbenfroher Blumenstrauss in einem Römerglas. Auf der Standfläche ist die Komposition durch einen Schmetterling und zwei Schneckenhäuser belebt. Der Strauss setzt sich aus einer Vielzahl an Blüten zusammen, die alle so angeordnet sind, dass sie sich kaum überlappen und dadurch ihre Einzigartigkeit gekonnt zur Schau gestellt wird. So werden zwei verschiede Rosenblüten mit Knospen gezeigt, eine geflammte Tulpe, ein Maiglöckchenzweig, ein Veilchen, Rosmarinblätter, Vergiss-mein-nicht, Zweiblättriger Blaustern, ein Stiefmütterchen, Hasenglöckchen, eine Gartennelke sowie weiteres Blattwerk. Gekrönt wird der Strauss von einer sibirischen Schwertlilie. Dr. Fred G. Meijer, der das Stillleben anhand einer Fotografie studiert hat und wofür wir ihm danken, datiert dieses Gemälde in die 1620er-Jahre und bezeichnet es als ein exzellentes Beispiel aus dem Spätwerk von Ambrosius Bosschaert d. Ä.. Ambrosius Bosschaert d. Ä. zählt zu den Pionieren des eigenständigen Blumenstilllebens zu Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts. Über seine künstlerischen Anfänge ist wenig bekannt. Geboren in Antwerpen, siedelte er in jungen Jahren mit seiner Familie nach Middelburg um. Dort wurde er zu einem der ersten Spezialisten auf dem Gebiet der Blumenmalerei. Dabei dürfte besonders das Interesse zahlreicher Amateur-Botaniker, die Pflanzen und seltene Spezies in ihren Gärten kultivierten, die Nachfrage nach Blumenstillleben als eigene Gattung in der Malerei gefördert haben. Von 1593 bis 1613 ist Bosschaert in der Sankt Lukasgilde aufgeführt, er engagierte sich aber auch als Kunsthändler. 1615 begab sich Bosschaert zunächst nach Bergen op Zoom, von 1616–1619 nach Utrecht und von 1619–1621 nach Breda. 1621 verstarb er in Den Haag, als er ein Blumenstillleben an seinen Auftraggeber Frederick van Schurman, dem Bottelier von Prinz Maurits van Oranien (1567–1625) auslieferte. Das Gemälde befindet sich heute in der National Gallery of Arts, Washington (datiert 1621, Öl auf Kupfer, 31,6 × 21,6 cm, Inv. Nr. 1996.35.1). In Breda dürfte auch unser Blumenstillleben entstanden sein. Laurens Johannes Bol machte darauf aufmerksam, dass die dargestellten Blüten in Bosschaerts Sträussen in der Realität niemals zeitgleich blühten und somit als komponiertes Arrangement zu verstehen sind (Bol 1960, S. 20 ff.). Es werden die kostbarsten Blumensorten in ein Gesamtwerk vereint. Hierfür hatte Bosschaert neben den Naturbeispielen auch eine Anzahl an botanischen Zeichnungen und druckgraphischen Abbildungen als Vorlage, wie beispielsweise in den "florilegia" von Rembertus Dodonaeus (1516–1585) und Carolus Clusius (1526–1609), zwei bedeutenden Botanikern des 16. Jahrhunderts, sowie das druckgrafische Werk von Adriaen Collaert (um 1560–1618). Verglichen mit dem ebenfalls auf Kupfer gemalten Blumenstrauss, der bei Koller 2008 versteigert wurde (Abb. 1) und bei dem es sich um ein Beispiel für Bosschaerts frühes Schaffen handelt, zeichnet sich das hier angebotene Stillleben besonders durch die Steigerung der räumlichen Tiefe und Präzision von architektonischer Hintergrundgestaltung aus. Während der frühe Blumenstrauss noch einen monochromen Hintergrund aufweist, lässt sich nun die Wölbung der Nische erkennen, die den Bildraum im Hintergrund vergrössert. Die Dreidimensionalität der Blüten und Blätter wird dadurch perfektioniert und das Volumen des Strausses akzentuiert. Schattenreflektion der einzelnen Blüten und Blätter sind auf der Steinrückwand zu erkennen, wodurch der räumliche Gesamteindruck gesteigert wird. Diese Charakteristiken finden sich auch in dem Blumenstrauss von Ambrosius Bosschaert d. Ä. im Statens Museum for Kunst in Kopenhagen, welcher 1618 datiert ist (Öl auf Kupfer, 55,5 × 39,5 cm, Inv. Nr. KMSsp211). Auch hier sind Meeresschnecken dargestellt, deren detailreiche Wiedergabe eine Bestimmung ermöglicht. Muscheln und Meeresschnecken gelangten im 17. Jahrhundert mit den Schiffen der Ost- und Westindischen Handelsgesellschaften nach Holland und wurden zu teilweise hohen Summen an Sammler verkauft. Als "Naturalia", Kuriosität und wissenschaftliches Studienobjekt zugleich fanden sie Eingang sowohl in die höfischen, als auch die bürgerlichen Kunstkammern und Sammlerkabinette. Beispielhaft zeigt Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) in seinem Portrait des holländischen Warenhändlers Jan Govertsz. van der Aar (um 1544–1612) von 1603, wie er stolz seine Sammlung an Meeresmuscheln dem Betrachter präsentiert (Öl auf Leinwand, 107,5 × 83 cm, Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Leihgabe von P. und N. de Boer Foundation 1960, Inv. Nr. 3450). Die naturgetreue Wiedergabe der kleinen Tiere in unserem Gemälde ermöglicht es, Conchologen und Lepidopterologen die genaue Bestimmung der Spezies vorzunehmen. So findet sich unten rechts auf der Steinplatte eine Marmorkegelschnecke sowie eine kubanische Landschnecke genannt Polymita picta. Bei dem Schmetterling links handelt es sich um einen Perlmuttfalter (Abb. 2). Hervorzuheben ist auch Ambrosius Bosschaerts Monogramm, das aus seinen ineinander verschlungenen Initialen A und B besteht und unten links am Nischenrand zu erkennen ist. Die Anordnung möge an den hundert Jahre zuvor tätigen Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) erinnern, dessen Monogramm in vergleichbarer Weise erscheint und der als einer der ersten die genaue Naturbeobachtung in sein Kunstschaffen aufgenommen hat. Ambrosius Bosschaert d. Ä. reiht sich somit in die Tradition der naturwissenschaftlichen Wahrnehmung und demonstriert seine eigene Wertschätzung und Positionierung in der Kunstgeschichte zu Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts in den Niederlanden.
Atelier of AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT (Antwerp, 1573- 1621); 17th century "Vase." Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 68,5 x 66 cm; 105,5 x 88,5 cm (frame). In this work the author captures an exuberant bouquet of flowers, arranged in several levels, almost like a garland, seated on the monumental vase of classic style that centers the composition. This is arranged on a flat surface, which we can identify with a stone parapet. The vase is placed in the foreground, with the flowers opening around it, occupying a large part of the surface of the painting and composing a balanced and settled scheme of a pyramidal character, although dynamic with regard to the flowers and the general diagonal lines of the composition. It is therefore a contained dynamism, tinged by the classical aesthetics, typical of the baroque. In fact, the diagonals defined by the flowers counterbalance each other, finally forming a slow rhythm, tending towards symmetry, contained in the classical manner. In this way, the points of light - the flowers - are compensated and balanced in a sumptuous but at the same time serene image. Around the bouquet of flowers, the background and the surroundings are in semi-darkness. The flowers thus become the absolute protagonists of the image, and as such are treated with the sumptuous, brilliant and highly nuanced tones typical of the Flemish flower still life of the Baroque period. However, warm tones, reds, oranges and ochers dominate. At a formal level, the clearly Flemish brushstroke also stands out, but already evolved in the dynamic sense of the Baroque, a tight, precise and very controlled brushstroke, mutable, which adapts to the representation not only of the different textures, but also of the subtle changes of light. This style, together with certain details such as the shells on the table, bring this work closer to the workshop of Ambrosius Bosschaert, a Dutch still life painter and art dealer born in Flanders. He is recognized as one of the first painters to create floral still lifes as an independent genre and for founding a dynasty of painters dedicated to flower painting. He was born in Antwerp, where he began his career, but spent most of it in Middelburg. At the age of twenty-one he joined the Confraternity of St. Luke in the city, of which he became dean. He started a tradition of painting detailed bouquets of flowers, which often included tulips and roses, and inspired the genre of Dutch flower painting. Thanks to the flourishing Dutch art market of the 17th century, he achieved great success.
AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT I (ANTWERP 1573-1621 THE HAGUE) A glass beaker with red and white parrot tulips, a white rose with a butterfly,... oil on copper 7 5⁄8 x 5 in. (19.4 x 12.9 cm.)
AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT I (ANTWERP 1573-1621 THE HAGUE) Tulips, roses, lilies of the valley, forget-me-nots, cyclamen and other flowers... oil on copper 11 ¼ x 7 5/8 in. (28.5 x 19.3 cm.)
Property from a Private Collection Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder Antwerp 1573–1621 The Hague Still life of striped tulips, roses, a French marigold, blue columbines, a poppy anemone, an iris and other flowers in a globular glass vase with butterflies signed with monogram lower left: AB; and also signed in ink on the reverse of the copper plate: Ambrosius Bosschaert oil on copper 28.2 x 18.2 cm.; 11⅛ x 7⅛ in.
Ambrosius Bosschaert (Amberes, Bélgica, 1573-La Haya, Países Bajos, 1621) Flores con mariposa. Óleo sobre lienzo. Firmado con monograma AB. Reentelado. Aunque nació en Amberes se trasladó a Middelburg. En 1593 está registrado como pintor del gremio de San Lucas de la ciudad. La primera obra firmada conservada está fechada en 1605 ya que hasta entonces se habría dedicado a su otra profesión la de comerciante de arte. Firmó con su monograma AB. Pintor especializado en bodegones con flores, está considerado uno de los padres del género y el creador de un modelo que perduró en Middelburg hasta mediados del siglo XVII. 46,5 x 36,5 cm.
Ambrosius Bosschaert (Amberes, Bélgica, 1573-La Haya, Países Bajos, 1621) Flores con mariposa. Óleo sobre lienzo. Firmado con monograma AB. Reentelado. 46,5 x 36,5 cm.
Ambrosius Bosschaert (Amberes, Bélgica, 1573-La Haya, Países Bajos, 1621) Flores con mariposa. Óleo sobre lienzo. Firmado con monograma AB. Reentelado. 46,5 x 36,5 cm.
Ambrosius Bosschaert (Amberes, Bélgica, 1573-La Haya, Países Bajos, 1621) Flores con mariposa. Óleo sobre lienzo. Firmado con monograma AB. Reentelado. Aunque nació en Amberes se trasladó a Middelburg. En 1593 está registrado como pintor del gremio de San Lucas de la ciudad. La primera obra firmada conservada está fechada en 1605 ya que hasta entonces se habría dedicado a su otra profesión la de comerciante de arte. Firmó con su monograma AB. Pintor especializado en bodegones con flores, está considerado uno de los padres del género y el creador de un modelo que perduró en Middelburg hasta mediados del siglo XVII. 46,5 x 36,5 cm.
Ambrosius Bosschaert (Amberes, Bélgica, 1573-La Haya, Países Bajos, 1621) Flores con mariposa. Óleo sobre lienzo. Firmado con monograma AB. Reentelado. 46,5 x 36,5 cm.
Ambrosius Bosschaert (Amberes, Bélgica, 1573-La Haya, Países Bajos, 1621) Flores con mariposa. Óleo sobre lienzo. Firmado con monograma AB. Reentelado. Aunque nació en Amberes se trasladó a Middelburg. En 1593 está registrado como pintor del gremio de San Lucas de la ciudad. La primera obra firmada conservada está fechada en 1605 ya que hasta entonces se habría dedicado a su otra profesión la de comerciante de arte. Firmó con su monograma AB. Pintor especializado en bodegones con flores, está considerado uno de los padres del género y el creador de un modelo que perduró en Middelburg hasta mediados del siglo XVII. 46,5 x 36,5 cm.
BLUMENSTILLLEBEN IN VASE Öl auf Leinwand. Doubliert. 84 x 69 cm. Ungerahmt. In einer alten steinernen Rundnische eine stehende chinesische weiß-blaue Vase, darin ein prachtvolles Blumenbouquet, welches aus Rosen, Tulpen, Nelken, Schneeball und kleineren Blumen besteht. Ausgewogene Komposition in überwiegend weißer, gelber und zurückhaltender roter und blauer Farbigkeit. Das Licht fällt von links auf das Blumenarrangement, wobei die linke Seite der Nische verschattet bleibt. Das Alter der Nische wird durch Risse im Stein, die sich insbesondere am linken unteren und mittleren Rand befinden, deutlich betont. Ambrosius Bosschaert d. Ä. war ein niederländischer Maler des „Goldenen Zeitalters“. Bekannt wurde er vor allem für seine farbenkräftigen Stillleben von Blumensträußen. Sein Stil wurde von seinen drei Söhnen weiterentwickelt, von denen der letzte 1645 verstarb. (12711910) (1) (18)
(Anversa, 1573 - L'Aia, 1621) Vaso fiorito in una nicchia Olio su rame, cm 17,4X14,3 L'inizio dell'attività di Bosschaert è documentato attorno al 1593, anno d'iscrizione alla Gilda di San Luca, nella ricca città olandese di Middelburg. I dipinti autografi riconosciuti dalla critica sono poco più di una cinquantina e derivano da uno studio dal vero delle diverse specie botaniche, descritte con una notevole attenzione delle cromie e dei volumi. Ogni singolo stelo è accuratamente accostato all'altro in base ai colori e alle forme, per conferire ad ogni dipinto una caratteristica unica e singolare. L'aspetto concettuale di queste opere è rimarcato dagli inserti simbolici di farfalle, mosche, api e fiori recisi. Bibliografia di riferimento: R. Mitchel, European Flower Painters. London 1973, ad vocem S. Segai, Masters of Middelburg. Exh. cat. Kunsthandel K. & V. Waterman, Amsterdam 1984, ad vocem
BOSSCHAERT, Ambrosius (I) (North Netherlandish 1573 - 1621) - follower of. Still life with flowers, late 17th century. Oil on cradled panel, with monogram 'AB' (lower right); framed in a handsomely decorated 19th century frame. Some losses of paint in the centre and lower centre, surface grime, edges slightly rubbed by the frame.
Ambrosius Bosschaert, the Elder (Antwerp 1573-1621 The Hague) Flowers in a Wan-li gilt-mounted vase in a niche with shells and insects signed with artist's monogram '.AB.' (lower right) oil on copper 13 x 8 ½ in. (33 x 21.6 cm.)
Ambrosius Bosschaert, the Elder (Antwerp 1573-1621 The Hague) Flowers in a berkemeier glass on a stone ledge oil on copper, laid on panel 15 1/8 x 10 5/8 in. (38.5 x 27 cm.)
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (Antwerp 1573-1621 The Hague) A still life of a porcelain vase with a gilt-mounted base, holding a floral bouquet including various roses, tulips, anemone, cyclamen, narcissi, hyacinth, pansy, marsh marigold and columbine, on a table, beside a caterpillar on a sprig of narcissi on the left and a Red Admiral butterfly to the right, with a bee on the central rose and a dragonfly on the upper tulipoil on panel36.5 x 25.7cm (14 3/8 x 10 1/8in). Provenance: Private Collection, BelgiumPrivate Collection, EuropeSale, Koller, Zurich, 18 September 2009, lot 3015, where purchased by the present ownerFirst identified by Dr. Fred Meijer of the RKD in a letter dated 8 June, 2001, the present work was hitherto unknown to previous authors, such as Laurens Bol, who published a monograph on Bosschaert and his dynasty in 1960. Fred Meijer writes that this composition fits securely within the oeuvre of Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder dating to the years around 1609/10.Bosschaert's earliest known dated flower painting, from 1605 (private collection, on copper, monogrammed and dated, 18.4 x 14.6 cm.) shows a rather schematic composition and the same remained true for work from 1606, albeit that his imagery was becoming more complex. By early 1607, however, the artist was clearly becoming aware of the advantage of arranging his flowers in a more three-dimensional fashion: by this time he had also studied Jan Brueghel the Elder's ventures in flower painting, and eagerly adopted motifs and types of arrangement from that artist.Bosschaert's earliest bouquet is set in a small porcelain vase, with a similar decoration to the one depicted here, but with a different gilt mounting. The vase shown here appears to be the same one that also occurs in later pictures, such as the one in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (1934 cat. no. 590, oil on copper, monogrammed and dated 1619, 31 x 22.5 cm.). Several flowers also occur in other Bosschaert bouquets, particularly from the period around 1610; the anemone is very similar to the one in the major bouquet from 1609 in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (Inv. no. 547, oil on panel, monogrammed and dated, 50.2 x 35.3 cm.); while the hyacinth appears similarly in the painting in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, which can be dated to 1609/10 (oil on copper, monogrammed, 37 x 27 cm.). The columbine recurs in a small bouquet from 1610 in the P. & N. de Boer Foundation, Amsterdam (oil on copper, monogrammed and dated, 27 x 18.5 cm.), and in a basket of flowers which was with Galerie Sanct Lucas in Vienna (oil on panel, 40.5 x 61 cm.), and which also has the same sprig of white narcissi draped in front of it. The somewhat sparkling treatment of the rose foliage can be found similarly in the Vienna bouquet, as well as in some slightly earlier works (for example, a monogrammed oil on copper of circa 1606 in a Private Collection, oil on copper, 19.3 x 12.9 cm.). From 1610 onwards, Bosschaert's rose leaves appear to become softer and more even. A flower painting is known which must be a copy of a lost Bosschaert original, the composition of which appears to be an intermediary between the present painting and, for instance, the Oxford bouquet (Private Collection, oil on panel, 36 x 24 cm.). Probably somewhat later, and somewhat brighter in tone, but still quite similar in atmosphere, is a pair of oval flower still lifes in Frankfurt (Frankfurt Historisches Museum, both monogrammed, oil on copper, 24 x 18 cm.).As regards the iconography of this work, the interest shown here in botany and the growing variety of floral species was probably the most important incentive for the genesis of such subject matter. Intrinsically, such a display of variety could be considered to have been in praise of God's creation; while representing these lavish flowers which fade quickly, the artist was also at pains to convey the transitory nature of the world's vanity, with the butterfly juxtaposed with the caterpillar possibly symbolising the Resurrection. Whatever underlying meaning intended by the artist, however, his primary purpose was evidently to please and excite the eye of the viewer by the illusion of a deceptively 'real' bouquet of flowers.We are grateful to Dr. Fred Meijer for his assistance in cataloguing this work.
AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT I (ANTWERP 1573-1621 THE HAGUE) Peaches, apples, apricots and grapes in a Wan Li bowl with cherries, pears, apricots and an apple on a ledge signed in monogram 'AB' (lower left, on the front of the ledge) oil on panel 14 x 21 1/8 in. (35.6 x 53.7 cm.)
Ambrosius Bosschaert I (Antwerp 1573-1621 The Hague) An iris, tulips, narcissi, roses and fritillaries in a glass vase with various... oil on copper 12 1/8 x 9 3/8 in. (30.7 x 23.8 cm.)
Dutch 16-17 Century Oil On Copper Painting Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder Bouquet of Flowers in a Glass Vase Size: 7 3/4 x 5 1/4 in. Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (18 January 1573 - 1621) was a still life painter of the Dutch Golden Age. He was born in Antwerp, where he started his career, but he spent most of it in Middelburg (1587-1613), where he moved with his family because of the threat of religious persecution. He specialized in painting still lifes with flowers, which he signed with the monogram AB (the B in the A). At the age of twenty-one, he joined the city's Guild of Saint Luke and later became dean. Not long after, Bosschaert had married and established himself as a leading figure in the fashionable floral painting genre. He had three sons who all became flower painters; Ambrosius II, Johannes and Abraham. His brother-in-law Balthasar van der Ast also lived and worked in his workshop and moved with him on his travels. Bosschaert later worked in Amsterdam (1614), Bergen op Zoom (1615-1616), Utrecht (1616-1619), and Breda (1619). In 1619 when he moved to Utrecht, his brother-in-law van der Ast entered the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke, where the renowned painter Abraham Bloemaert had just become dean. The painter Roelandt Savery (1576-1639) entered the St. Luke's guild in Utrecht at about the same time. Savery had considerable influence on the Bosschaert dynasty. When Bosschaert died in The Hague while on commission there for a flower piece, Balthasar van der Ast took over running his workshop and pupils
AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT I (19TH-CT. FOLLOWER) Antwerp 1573 - 1621 The Hague FLOWER STILL LIFE WITH BUGS Oil on panel, mounted on wooden plate. 17 cm by 13 cm. Monogrammed and dated at later date 'A. B. 16[...]'. Frame.
Roses, a tulip, hyacinths and other flowers in a glass roemer beside a crocus flower and shell in a stone niche oil on copper 23 x 17.5cm (9 1/16 x 6 7/8in).
THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR ANTWERP 1573 - 1621 THE HAGUE STILL LIFE OF ROSES, MARIGOLDS, AQUILEGIA, VIOLETS, CONVOLVULUS, HOLLYHOCKS, PEONIES, CORNFLOWERS, FORGET-ME-NOTS, JACOB'S LADDERS, LILY OF THE VALLEY AND CARNATIONS IN A WAN-LI KRAAK PORCELAIN VASE WITH A BUTTERFLY AND A SNAIL ON A LEDGE oil on oak panel 43.5 by 32.3 cm.; 17 1/8 by 12 3/4 in.
Ambrosius Bosschaert I (Antwerp 1573-1621 The Hague) Tulips, roses, bluebells, Narcissus tortuosis, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley and cyclamen in a flask on a stone ledge with a caterpillar, butterfly and dragonfly oil on copper 7 5/8 x 5 7/8 in. (19.3 x 14.9 cm.)
AMBROSIUS BOSSCHAERT I (ANVERS 1573-1621 LA HAYE) Bouquet de tulipes, rose, iris, oeillet et ancolie dans un vase en porcelaine avec un papillon et une mouche sur un entablement en pierre huile sur cuivre 19,9 x 14,6 cm.
Ambrosius BOSSCHAERT le vieux (Anvers 1573 - La Haye 1621) Bouquet de fleurs dans un vase de bronze posé sur un entablement près d'un coquillage Cuivre 34,2 x 23,4 cm Monogrammé et daté 1621 (?) en bas à droite Petits manques...
THE PROPERTY OF A FAMILY ANTWERP 1573 - 1621 THE HAGUE A STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS IN A GLASS BEAKER SET IN A MARBLE NICHE signed in monogram lower right oil on copper 14 by 9 1/4 in.; 35.3 by 23.3 cm.
THE PROPERTY OF A FAMILY ANTWERP BAPT 1573 - 1621 THE HAGUE STILL LIFE OF TULIPS, MOSS-ROSES, LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY AND OTHER FLOWERS IN A GLASS BEAKER SET IN AN ARCHED STONE WINDOW OPENING, WITH A DISTANT LANDSCAPE BEYOND oil on copper 29 by 23 cm.; 11 1/2 by 9 in.
BROSSCHAERT, AMBROSIUS (D.Ä.) 1573 Antwerpen - Den Haag 1621 (Nachfolger) Blumenstück mit Eidechse, Muschel, Käfer und Fliege Öl auf Kupfertafel, 23 cm x 16,5 cm, Rahmen.
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (Antwerp 1573-1621 The Hague) Tulips, roses, a bluebell, Narcissus tortuosis, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley and cyclamen in a flask, on a ledge with a caterpillar, butterfly and dragonfly oil on copper 7½ x 5 2/3 in. (19 x 14.5 cm.)
BOSSCHAERT, AMBROSIUS the elder (Antwerp 1573 - 1621 The Hague) Bouquet of flowers in a vase with tulips, roses, narcissi, columbine, an Alpine violet, a buttercup, anemone and a red admiral butterfly. Oil on panel. 36.5 x 25.7 cm. Provenance: - Private collection, Belgium. - European private collection. BOSSCHAERT, AMBROSIUS d. Ä. (Antwerpen 1573 - 1621 Den Haag) Blumenstrauss in einer Vase mit Tulpen, Rosen, Narzissen, einer Akelei, einem Alpenveilchen, einer Ranunkel, Anemone und einem roten Admiralsschmetterling. Öl auf Holz. 36,5 x 25,7 cm. Provenienz: - Privatsammlung, Belgien. - Europäischer Privatbesitz. Dieses hier angebotene, bislang unpublizierte Blumenstilleben gehört zu den frühesten Blumenstilleben der holländischen Malerei des 17. Jahrhunderts. Das aus Privatbesitz stammende Gemälde wurde von Fred G. Meijer vom RKD, Den Haag, nach Begutachtung des Originals als ein eigenhändiges Werk Ambrosius Bosschaerts d. Ä. identifiziert. Die auf die Vertikale ausgerichtete axiale Komposition sowie die naturgetreue Grösse der wiedergegebenen Blumen veranlassen ihn, das Gemälde um 1609/10 zu datieren. Es ist ein charakteristisches Beispiel Ambrosius Bosschaerts d. Ä. und zeigt die präzise und naturgetreue Wiedergabe der einzelnen Blüten und Insekten, die so kennzeichnend für den Maler sind. Im Vergleich mit dem etwas kompakteren Bouquet von 1607, ehemals bei John Mitchell & Son, London, (Ploeg, P van der: Bouquets from the Golden Age, 1992., Katalog-Nr. 6), wirkt der Blumenstrauss bei dem hier angebotenen Gemälde schon freier und lockerer. Allerdings ist die räumliche Tiefe der Blumen, wie bei dem Stilleben von 1610, welches sich ehemals bei E. Slatter, London, befand (Bol, L.J.: The Bosschaert Dynasty, Leigh-on-Sea 1960, Nr. 22), noch nicht ganz ausgeprägt. Somit markiert das hier angebotene Gemälde um 1609/10 eine wichtige Entwicklung im Schaffen Ambrosius Bosschaert. Die Komposition des hier gezeigten Strausses steht dem bei Koller versteigerten Gemäldes von 1610 äusserst nahe (Abb. 1; Auktion Koller, 19.9.2008, Los 3014, verkauft für CHF 5,77 Millionen),das stilistisch noch im letzten Jahr um 1608 datiert wurde und nach einer Reinigung die Datierung von 1610 enthüllte. Letzteres muss nach dem hier angebotenen Bouquet entstanden sein, da die räumliche Umsetzung des Strausses noch gesteigert wurde. Auffallend ist allerdings, dass in dieser Version ein sehr verwandter symmetrischer, axialer Aufbau des Strausses gewählt wurde, der von einer bekrönenden Tulpe, einer darunter zentral platzierten Rose und einer ausgleichenden Narzisse und einem Schmetterling rechts und links neben der Vase auf der Tischplatte bestimmt wird. Die gelbe Nelke unten rechts scheint fast identisch. Nur eine weiss-blaue Porzellanvase wurde statt des Römers gewählt. Fred G. Meijer weisst darauf hin, dass sich Bosschaert und Jan Brueghel wahrscheinlich um 1607/9 kennen gelernt haben müssen und sich künstlerisch beeinflussten. Obwohl dies nirgendwo belegt ist, darf davon ausgegangen werden, dass sie sich gekannt haben. Es ist wahrscheinlich, dass der in Antwerpen geborene Bosschaert öfters dorthin zurückkehrte. Vermutlich war diese Stadt auch für seine Tätigkeit als Kunsthändler von Bedeutung. Das Kolorit aus starken Rot- und Gelbtönen und die chinesische Porzellanvase des hier angebotene Gemäldes könnten möglicherweise von Brueghel beeinflusst sein. Die Farbgebung lässt sich mit dem Blumenstrauss um 1608, ehemals bei David Koetser, Zürich (Ertz, Klaus: Brueghel - Brueghel. Une Famille de Peintres Flamands vers 1600, Austellungskatalog, 1997/8, Kat. Nr. 79, mit Abb.), vergleichen. Das Motiv der chinesischen Porzellanvasen taucht ebenfalls bei Brueghel auf und findet sich in dem Gemälde Blumenstrauss von 1608, im Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien (Ertz, ebd., Kat. Nr. 80, mit Abb.). Über das Leben Ambrosius Bosschaerts d. Ä. ist leider wenig bekannt, ausser dass er 1573 in Antwerpen geboren wurde und 1587 aus religiösen Gründen mit seiner Familie nach Middelburg zog. Dort war er von 1593 - 1613 Mitglied der Malergilde. 1614 ist Bosschaert in Amsterdam nachweisbar und in den Jahren 1615/9 in Utrecht. Danach lebte er einige Jahren in Breda. Er verstarb 1621 auf dem Weg nach Den Haag, wo er ein Gemälde ausliefern wollte. Als Vater von Ambrosius d. J., Abraham und Johannes ist er der Hauptvertreter der sogenannten Bosschaert Dynastie (siehe dazu Bol, L.J.: The Bosschaert Dynasty, 1960).
BOSSCHAERT, AMBROSIUS the Elder (Antwerp 1573 - 1621 The Hague) Bouquet with tulips, an iris, carnation, cyclamen, marigold, forget-me-not, some rosemary foliage and other flowers in a rummer, with butterflies, a bee, a top shell and a fly. 1608. Signed lower left AB (linked) and dated lower right 160..(?). Oil on copper 26.0 x 18.1 cm Provenance: - Private collection, Germany, since the 19th century. - thence by descent. BOSSCHAERT, AMBROSIUS d. Ä. (Antwerpen 1573 - 1621 Den Haag) Blumenstrauss mit Tulpen, Schwertlilie, Gartennelke, Ringelblume, Rosmarinblätter und anderen Blüten in einem Römer mit Schmetterlingen, Spitzschnecke und Fliege. 1608. Öl auf Kupfer. Unten links monogrammiert: AB (ligiert). Unten rechts datiert: 160(?). 26 x 18,1 cm.
Lilies, tulips, roses, carnations, columbines, marigolds, anemones, hyacinth, eglantines, fritillaries and other flowers, with a red admiral butterfly, with peaches, apricots, a plum and a sprig of cherries on a table oil on panel 16 1/4 x 23 1/2 in. (41.3 x 59.7 cm.)
Tulips, a rose, an iris, a carnation, snakeshead fritillaries, a columbine and other flowers in a Wan-li kraak porselein vase, with a butterfly and a fly on a stone ledge oil on copper 7 7/8 x 53/4 in. (20 x 14.7 cm.) NOTES We are grateful to Mr. Fred Meijer of the RKD for confirming the attribution to Ambrosius Bosschaert I on the basis of photographs; Mr. Meijer dates the painting to early in the artist's career, circa 1606. This is a newly re-discovered addition to oeuvre of the artist, who may justly be regarded as the founder of Dutch still-life painting. Originally from Antwerp, his family were forced to flee the Spanish Netherlands in the late 1580s to avoid religious persecution, settling instead in Middelburg. There, the young Ambrosius was enrolled into the Guild of Saint Luke in 1593, married Maria van der Ast (the elder sister of Balthasar, who became his pupil) in 1604, and bought a house in 1611. Towards the end of his life, however, he seems for some reason to have adopted a more peripatetic existence, moving by 1615 to Bergen-op-Zoom, in 1616 to Utrecht and living from 1619 in Breda. Dated paintings by Bosschaert are known with a few exceptions from the years 1605-21, however it was during his time in Middelburg that his reputation was established, having founded a school of painting that would bear his stamp well after his own lifetime. The present composition is an example of the most famous of his creations: a roughly vertical bunch of flowers, tightly grouped and boldly placed within the picture, painted with scientific detail and accuracy. The composition, designed to appear entirely natural, is carefully thought out: colours balance and complement, whilst forms vary enough to provide balance whilst avoiding any monotony of symmetry. Towards the bottom of the group, flowers are turned down or away from the viewer in order to enhance the rounded, three-dimensional nature of the image, an illusion furthered by the curve of the porcelain vase. It has frequently been observed that the artifice is continued by the fact that Bosschaert frequently included flowers in his compositions that blossom at different times of the year; from this, one can infer that the artist must have worked from preparatory studies. Unsurprisingly, therefore, examples of the same flowers recur through his oeuvre : for example, in the present picture the pink Batavian rose is also found in the still life of 1605 sold in these Rooms, 23 April 1982 (œ55,000) and in that of 1606 in the Cleveland Museum of Art (the latter painting also includes very similar examples of an iris and a columbine). Noticeably, however, Bosschaert introduces slight variations in his flowers, demonstrating the care with which he reintroduced his favourite motifs. It has been suggested that Bosschaert may have received his first commissions from botanists, eager for accurate documentation of the variety of floral species, and that it was from these that he subsequently built up his grouped compositions. Equally well known, however, and perhaps more constantly the reason for the commission of such works, was their simple ability to please. Much remarked upon in particular is the simple conceit that these blooms were able to provide pleasure and beauty all year round, an attitude mentioned by writers as early as Erasmus who, in his Colloquia, explained: 'Moreover, we are twice pleased when we see a painted flower competing with a living one. In one we admire the artifice of nature, in the other the genius of the painter, in each the goodness of God' - in the ensuing debate, one man remarks that the painted garden 'grows and pleases even in midwinter.' As most recently discussed by Alan Chong in the catalogue of the exhibition Still-Life Paintings from the Netherlands 1550-1720 (Amsterdam and Cleveland, 1999, p. 26), this passage was picked up on by later artists: Hoefnagel quoted it with two depictions of fruit and flowers in 1597 (Sibiu, Muzeul Brukenthal), whilst Jan Brueghel I wrote to Cardinal Borromeo that his paintings would give particular pleasure during the winter months, a view reciprocated by Borromeo, who noted that images of the fruits and flowers of spring were a visual delight in the winter. Rather later, Jan Vos, in his Bloemen door van Aalst geschildert wrote an epigram for Van Aelst's bouquets that could equally well be applied to Bosschaer's work of half a century before: 'Here comes the sweet spring to appear in wintertime, Nature, who with her own brush, stupefies all who paint Begins, now that she sees this, to languish out of pure regret.'.
