Carstian Luyckx

George Gravert, Boston;
From whom inherited by the present owner.

The old glue relining is firm and stable. under a dirty, dull and discolored old varnish. generally, the paint surface has been very well retained and there is lovely preservation of detail in most of the painting. only a slight degree of thinness can be seen at the right side of the globe. there are some old rather crudely done repairs that are visible to the naked eye. these include what appears to be an old repaired horizontal tear in center of globe; another irregular repaired vertical tear in red curtain lower right; and another repaired horizontal tear in red curtain upper right. there are also some old filled losses in red curtain to upper left of globe; a tiny paint loss lower right to right of book, and another to lower right side of globe. some retouching at upper right corner and a few scratches at lower left corner. nothing is visible under ultraviolet light due to the old, dirty varnish. this painting has not been restored in a long time and would benefit from a light cleaning and a re-addressing of the old repairs which could all be done more skillfully. In a carved wood frame with some nicks and losses to the gilding.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, for confirming this painting to be by Carstian Luyckx.  A close variant of this composition by the artist, signed lower center K. LVX, is in the collection of the Szépmüvészeti Múzeum in Budapest (Inv. no. 591, oil on canvas, 91.5 by 74 cm.).

Luyckx was accepted as a master in the Antwerp guild in 1645 and was documented there up until 1653.  He was an accomplished painter of floral still lifes, game pieces and vanitas.  Some of his later works have inscriptions in French and it is presumed that he may have left Antwerp and moved south though, as yet, there is no documentary evidence to support this.  Only two dated works are known, both from 1650.