Jan Davidsz. De Heem

Imbert collection, France;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Private Collector"), New York, Christie's, 31 May 1991, lot 88;
There purchased by Bernard Palitz.

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. A picture in excellent condition, with a lined, planar canvas support and a clear, appropriately saturating varnish. Ultraviolet illumination reveals the uneven fluorescence of residues of old varnish left untouched in suitably careful past cleanings. Old patches covering two small tears to the canvas support are visible from the reverse. One is situated in the dark background in the upper left while the other sits between the clusters of grapes in the lower right. The repairs are expertly retouched and in no way detract from the richly detailed imagery.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This meticulously rendered still life is a late work by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, and one of the best preserved examples from his mature period to appear at auction in at least a decade.  The work utilizes a number of classic de Heem elements, beginning with a strongly diagonal composition which draws the viewers eye from bottom left to top right. He incorporates numerous still life motifs that appear throughout his career, particularly the dark green withered leaves, multiple reflection points off of the gilt goblet, and finely rendered skins of the various citrus fruit and the wings of the butterfly. 

Sam Segal has previously dated the picture to the early or mid 1670s (see note in ex-Christie's sale catalogue, 31 May 1991, lot 8), comparing it with de Heem's dated work from 1667 in the Musée des Beaux Arts, Brussels (inv. no. 3166), as well as the artists's last known dated painting from 1675 (the only dated work in his oeuvre after 1655; sold London, Sotheby's, 5 December 2007, lot 38). Particularly in the latter example, the paintings share almost identically rendered green grapes, as well as the same snail, executed with a high sheen on its shell. 

Fred Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie has recently examined the picture first hand, and confirms the attribution to de Heem, dating it slightly later than Segal, to circa 1675 or slightly later. He notes that the calligraphy of the signature (with a curly initial J) only occurs in very late work, and that other features found here concur with those in late works by the artist, such as the handling of the apricots and foliage. This work will also be included in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the works of De Heem, currently in preparation.