Galerie Dreyfus
8
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JOHANNES BOUMAN (STRASBOURG, 1601/02 – UTRECHT, 1658)
Still …
See original version (French)
8
-
JOHANNES BOUMAN (STRASBOURG, 1601/02 – UTRECHT, 1658)
Still …
See original version (French)
Estimate €50,000 - €63,000
Voluntary lot
Description
JOHANNES BOUMAN
(STRASBOURG, 1601/02 – UTRECHT, 1658)
Still Life with Fruit and a Parrot
1645
Oil on panel
59 x 83.7 cm
Signed lower right on the tabletop:
JB[ligature]ouman fec. and dated 1645
This still life, painted by Johannes Bouman, an artist born in Strasbourg in the early
17th century, perfectly embodies the refinement of Northern European genre painting.
The work, dated 1645 and signed on the table, depicts a bowl overflowing with fruit,
accompanied by an exotic parrot perched on a melon.
A composition of abundance and elegance: the scene unfolds on a light-coloured tabletop,
upon which rests a large, finely decorated porcelain bowl. The fruit is
carefully arranged: bunches of green and black grapes, apples and plums with a glossy sheen,
velvety peaches, and pears with golden hues. The artist plays with a variety of textures, from matt to
glossy, and with colour contrasts, ranging from bright red to deep green. On the left,
a parrot with vivid plumage catches the eye and lends the composition a touch of liveliness
that is almost theatrical. The vine leaves, in autumnal hues, spread across the background
like a curtain of foliage, unifying the composition and adding a touch of melancholy.
Symbols and curiosities: in the 17th century, a still life was never merely
an inventory of objects. They were part of a symbolic language that linked material wealth
with moral reflection. The fruits evoke both nature’s abundance and the transience
of life, as they are destined to perish. The parrot, an exotic bird, reflects collectors’
fascination with wonders from the New World and Asia: it embodies
curiosity, exoticism and rarity. Placed at the heart of the domestic scene, it serves as a
sign of its owner’s prestige.
An Alsatian painter in the Dutch world: Johannes Bouman, still relatively
little known today, occupies a unique place in the history of painting. Born in
Strasbourg around 1601/02, he bears witness to the artistic vitality of Alsace, a region then situated
at the crossroads of Germanic and French cultures. His career continued in Utrecht,
in the United Provinces, where he found fertile ground for his art, rubbing shoulders with the great
masters of Dutch still life. Bouman thus exemplifies the intense artistic exchanges
between Alsace and the Netherlands, two regions linked by trade, humanist networks and
the movement of artists. As an expatriate from Alsace, he succeeded in assimilating the conventions of
Dutch painting whilst retaining a sensibility rooted in his Rhineland training. One recognises
in his works the precision of drawing and attention to detail inherited from the
Germanic tradition, combined with the elegant and clear composition characteristic of the Dutch school.
Technical virtuosity: the execution of the painting demonstrates great pictorial mastery.
Bouman excels in rendering surfaces: the transparency of the grapes, the
ceramic sheen of the bowl, the light caressing the parrot’s plumage. The artist skilfully balances
the composition between opulence and restraint, avoiding clutter to present a
harmonious and orderly vision of nature. The light, soft yet precise, unifies the whole and
gives each element its own distinct presence.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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