Lot 32: Balthasar van der Ast (Middelburg 1593/4-1657 Delft)

Lilies, roses, irises, tulips, narcissi, carnations and other flowers in a Chinese celadon ormulu-mounted vase, with a squirrel monkey, apricots, grapes, walnuts and a plum on stone ledge signed and dated '*Balthasaer * vander * Ast * fecit* ano * 1620' (lower left) oil on panel 50 x 311/2 in. (127.4 x 81 cm.) NOTES The composition of this picture derives from a work of the same date by Ambrosius Bosschaert I, Van der Ast's elder brother-in-law and his teacher, on a similarly sized panel (Nationalgalerie, Stockholm). The early date of this work makes it likely that this was Van der Ast's last production in Bosschaert's workshop, and his first flower piece. The same amaryllis that appears in the present picture is illustrated, probably for the first time, in a painting of 1617 by the elder Bosschaert. It may be a South African species, differing from the richer flower garden varieties, showing strong similarities with the Hippeastrum species from South America. The tulip numbered 48 in the key is also present in the 1617 work and is, probably, the first illustrated example of a predominately green tulip, a forerunner of parrot tulips. The 'Iberian Iris' is a hybrid of two related plants: the blue, or violet, Spanish Iris ( Iris xiphium ) and the yellow Portuguese Iris ( Iris lusitanica ). It appears in many Netherlandish seventeenth-century flower pieces, but is unknown in the botanical literature (see S. Segal, Flowers and Nature, The Hague, 1990, p. 208, no. 1). The Squirrel Monkey is a species indigenous to Central and South America; one of the breed was kept in the zoological garden of the Emperor Rudolph II in Prague, and was drawn for him at the beginning of the seventeenth century (™sterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, Cod. Min. 129, fol. 49). Key: 1. Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus plenus albo-rubescens 2. Sowbread (foliage) Cyclamen hederifolium 3. White Rose Rosa x alba subplena 4. Tulip Tulipa stellata x T.schrenkii 5. African Marigold Tagete patula 6. Liverwort Hepatica nobilis plena 7. French Rose Rosa gallica ad R. x provincialis 8. White Narcissus Narcissus poeticus plenus 9. Poppy Anemone Anemone coronaria bicolor striata 10. Kingcup Caltha palustris plena 11. Tulip Tulipa clusiana x t.undulatifolia 12. Pride Anemone Anemone pavonina 13. Tulip Tulipa clusiana x T.schrenkii 14. Stock Matthiola incana 15. Red Turban Cup Lily Lilium chalcedonicum 16. Brush Anemone Anemone hortensis plena 17. Stock Matthiola incana parva alba 18. Tulip Tulipa acumniata x T.agenensis 19. Siberian Iris Iris sibirica 20. Tulip Tulipa chrysantha x T.agenensis 21. Variegated Iris Iris variegata 22. Columbine Aguilegia vulgaris caesia 23. Hollyhock Alcea rosea plena rubra 24. German Flag Iris germanica 25. Pyrenean Lily Lilium pyrenaicum 26. Dog's Tooth Violet Erythronium dens-canis 27. White Lily Lilium candidum 28. Batavian Rose Rosa gallica cv.Batava [cv.=culture variety] 29. Orange Lily Lilium bulbiferum 30. Martagon Lily Lilium martagon 31. Peony Paeonia officinalis plena 32. Red Catchfly Lychnis viscaria 33. Belladona Lily Amaryllis belladona 34. Tulip Tulipa stellata x T.schrenkii 35. Damask Rose Rosa x damascena 36. Iberian Iris Iris x iberica 37. Snake's Head Fritillary Fritallaria meleagris 38. Dwarf Iris Iris pumila 39. Tulip Tulipa chrysantha x T.praecox 40. Primrose Narcissus Narcissus x biflorus 41. Tulip Tulipa clusiana x T.stellata 42. Lavender Cotton (foliage) Santolina chamaecyparissus 43. Narcissus'Double Kampernel' Narcissus x odorus plenus 44. Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris 45. Poppy Anemone Anemone coronaria pseudoplena 46. Narcissus 'Angel's Tears' Narcissus triandrus 47. Tulip Tulipa mucronata x T.clusiana 48. Tulip Tulipa viridiflora x T.stapfii 49. Provins Rose Rosa x provincialis 50. Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus plenus bicolor 51. Walnuts Juglans regia 52. White Grapes Vitis vinifera 53. Peach Prunus persica 54. Apricots Prunus armeniaca a. Squirrel Monkey Saimiri sciureus b. Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria c. Caterpillar Magpie Moth Abraxas grossulariata We are grateful to Dr. Sam Segal for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.