Lot 161: Harmen van Steenwyck (Delft 1612-after 1655)

A cherry, a hazelnut, a lemon, an apricot, peaches and grapes on a stone ledge
signed 'H Steenwyck' (lower left)
oil on panel, unframed
7 1/2 x 9 1/4 in. (19 x 23.5 cm.)

with P. de Boer, 1934 (label on reverse).
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 10 May 1994, lot 10 (sold 29,900 guilders).

SOLD BY ORDER OF THE EXECUTORS OF THE LATE MR. MEYER PADWA (LOTS 156-161)

Born in Delft, Harmen Steenwijck trained under his uncle David Bailly in Leiden for about five years from 1628. He joined the guild in Delft in 1636 and remained working there until the mid 1650s when he left with the merchant fleet for the East Indies.

The present work is directly comparable to a slightly larger still-life in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, considered by Fred Meijer to bear the hallmarks of the artist's early style and datable to the mid 1640s (see F. G. Meijer, The collection of Dutch and Flemish still-life paintings bequeathed by Daisy Linda Ward, Zwolle, 2003, p. 285, no. 73, illustrated). Both pictures are distinctive for their refinement of detail and close attention paid to the effects of lighting; the light falling diagonally from top left against a neutral grey background. Meijer points out another unusual feature of these still-lifes in their complete exclusion of small animals and insects normally used to underscore the vanitas message.

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.