Albrecht Kauw the Elder

Thun, Kunstsammlung der Stadt Thun, Drei Jahrhunderte bernischer Malerei aus Privatbesitz von Thun und Umgebung, 16 June - 21 July 1957, cat. no. 7.

G. Herzog, Albrecht Kauw (1616-1681), Der Berner Maler aus Strassburg, Bern 1999, p. 222, cat. no. 121, reproduced p. 223.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This work has not been restored for many years. The reverse shows a very old lining, which seems to be as old as the painting itself and may be original. The stretcher certainly is old if not period. The paint layer is stable. It is very dirty, but in beautiful condition. There is slightly raised vertical cracking here and there, particularly on the right side and center left, but this is certainly not disturbing. If the painting is cleaned, it seems that an undamaged and remarkably healthy paint layer will be revealed. A thin scratch has been recently made in the paint layer between the walnut and the tail of the bird lying on the table.
"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."

Born in Strasbourg, Kauw settled in Bern in 1640 where he is thought to have lived and worked for the rest of his life.  He was a highly versatile painter producing not only still lifes, but also landscapes, portraits, history and genre subjects.  Kauw was trained as a cartographer as well, and his topographical views had a significant impact on the development of Swiss landscape painting.

While little is known of Kauw’s early training in Strasbourg, his still life paintings reflect various influences — from that of contemporary French painters such as Jacques Linard and Louis Moillon, to the work of such German School artists as Peter Binoit.  However a number of his still lifes, such as this example, clearly demonstrate a familiarity with certain Spanish School painters.  The stark composition of the present work, including only a few carefully composed elements set against an empty, dark background, strongly recalls the work of such Spanish masters as Juan Sánchez Cotán and Alejandro de Loarte.  Indeed, another still life by Kauw, on the art market recently, had passed through an auction in Spain in the 1950s where it had been ascribed to the Spanish still life painter Felipe Ramírez.¹

1.  London, Christie's, 8 December 2010, lot 172.