Lot 131: Abraham van Beyeren (The Hague 1620/1-1690 Overschie)

Abraham van Beyeren (The Hague 1620/1-1690 Overschie)
A roemer, a bread roll, a peeled lemon, a langoustine and a ham on pewter plates, with an upturned pewter jug, grapes and a lemon in a wan-li kraak porcelain bowl, a tall wine glass and a cup and cover on a partially draped table
signed with the artist's monogram 'AVB' (center right)
oil on canvas
33 x 45¼ in. (83.8 x 115 cm.)

Anonymous sale; Christie's, New York, 18 May 1994, lot 13.
Acquired by the present owner in 1994.

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION

One of the most versatile artists of his day and the preeminent painter of fish still lifes, Van Beyeren is also celebrated as one of the greatest masters of the pronk still life, of which the present work is an example. Born in The Hague in 1620, he first studied under his brother-in-law, Pieter de Putter, and went on to establish his career in The Hague by 1640. Van Beyeren moved around The Netherlands during the two subsequent decades, spending time in Delft, Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Gouda until finally settling in Overschie in 1678.

Van Beyeren's pronk still lifes date from the mid-1640s to the 1660s. In these works the artist depicts a variety of ornate glassware, gilded goblets, nautilus cups, silver dishes, Chinese porcelain, costly fruit and other delicacies, all laid out on a tabletop -- the precious objects used were often repeated from one painting to another. The compositions of Jan Davidsz. de Heem influenced Van Beyeren, while the soft palette and painterly technique are unique to Van Beyeren. In the present painting, the texture of each object is skillfully represented and the light is used in clever reflections on some surfaces, such as the upturned pewter jug at center upon which the langoustine, gold watch and possibly the artist's likeness can be seen.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer, at the RKD in The Hague, for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs (private communication, 10 December 2010), he dates the painting to circa 1645-1650.