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Huybert VAN WESTHOVEN (1642/43–1712)
See original version (French)
384 - 1
-
Huybert VAN WESTHOVEN (1642/43–1712)
See original version (French)
Estimate €13,000 - €15,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Huybert VAN WESTHOVEN (1642/43–1712)
Still Life with Fruit and Precious Objects on an Entablature
Oil on canvas.
H_69.5 cm W_55 cm
Re-stretched.
Signed lower right.
Related works:
Still Life with Fruit, a Lobster in a Porcelain Bowl and
a Sliced Lemon, oil on canvas, 120 x 102 cm, Sotheby’s New York auction of
12 January 1995 ($55,000)
Peaches, bunches of grapes, plums and other fruit on a silver platter,
oil on canvas, 68.5 x 72.5 cm, Christie’s London sale of 13 July 2001
(sold for £15,000)
Huybert van Westhoven was born in The Hague around 1642 and died in Amsterdam in
1712. We know that he married twice and had several children, but the
details of his career remain largely unknown. The few
works that have survived to this day are of a quality that is every bit as
good as the work of Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Willem Claesz. Heda, Pieter Claesz,
Osias Beert or even Willem Kalf.
In the 17th century, the United Provinces experienced a period of prosperity
during which still life established itself as a genre in its own right,
prised for its realism and the richness of its compositions. They were
transported by ship to neighbouring countries, particularly to the
French market, which was very active at the time. Vanities constitute one of the
most distinctive expressions of the genre. They serve as a reminder of the fleeting nature of beauty,
youth and material wealth, evoking the irreversible passage
of time and the inevitability of death. They thus invite us to reflect on the
fragility of the human condition and on spiritual values.
Our painting features luxury objects that suggest the wealth and
good taste of their owners: a large nautilus mounted on a pedestal and a
Chinese porcelain bowl. The half-empty wine glass, barely visible at the back
of the composition, as well as the pocket watch with its gold chain and
key, reinforce the notion of vanity by reminding us of the
fleeting nature of passing time.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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