Lot 71: Nicolaes van Veerendael Antwerp 1640-1691

Nicolaes van Veerendael Antwerp 1640-1691
Peonies, tulips, morning glory and other flowers in a blue glass vase, with a rose on a stone ledge; and Peonies, tulips, carnations and other flowers in a blue glass vase, with a hydrangea on a stone ledge
The first signed and dated 'N. van Veerendael fe./1670' (on the table, lower left); The second signed 'Ni. V. Veerendael fec.' (on the table, lower right)
oil on canvas
The first 22¾ x 16 5/8 in. 57.8 x 42.2 cm.; The second 22 3/8 x 15¾ in. 56.6 x 40 cm.
a pair (2)

F. Meijer, The Ashmolean Museum Oxford: The Collection of Dutch and Flemish still-life paintings bequeathed by Daisy Linda Ward, Zwolle, 2002, p. 325, fig. 93.1 (the first only).

with Richard Green, London, from where purchased by the present owner.

In this pair of sumptuous still life paintings Nicolaes van Veerendael displays his skills at their most refined. Painting under the influence of Jan Davidsz. de Heem, with whom he collaborated on occasion, Veerendael's works of the 1670s combine crisp technique with loose, informal compositions, resulting in works that are clear forerunners to eighteenth-century flower paintings. In these works he abandons the influence of Jan Brueghel the Elder, David Teniers and Daniel Seghers to whom his earliest works are indebted. Leaving behind animal or architectural components, Veerendael focuses entirely on the subject matter in which he delighted the most, flowers.

The lively bouquets that Veerandael depicts are packed with bright blooms, distinguished by their thin, papery petals. Highly praised for his skill in depicting white flowers, the artist displays his talents here with at least four different species of white flower in each arrangement -- the uneven surface of the tightly-clustered petals of the hydrangea are juxtaposed with the smooth, veiny surface of the hibiscus petals above. The palette is similarly contrasting, with royal blues that are offset by bright orange throughout the arrangements. The paired compositions casually mirror each other and present a full compendium of the painter's skills.