ISAAK SOREAU | Still life with fruits and vegetables in a basket

Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Gentleman'), London, Sotheby's, 8 July 1992, lot 15 (as Jakob van Hulsdonck, with an additional attribution to Soreau by Fred G. Meijer);
With Gallery Edel Ltd., London, by whom exhibited at TEFAF, Maastricht, March 1993 (as Soreau);
With Galerie Virginie Pitchal, Paris, 1998 (as Soreau);
Marie–Theres Schmitz-Eichhoff (1923–2015), Cologne, and thence by descent.

Frankfurt-am-Main, Städel Museum, 20 March – 17 August 2008; Basel, Kunstmuseum, 5 September 2008 – 4 January 2009, The Magic of Things, no. 30.

G. Bott, Die Stillebenmaler Soreau, Binoit, Codino und Marrell in Hanau und Frankfurt, Hanau 2001, pp. 97–8, 102 and 187, cat. no. WV.IS.48, reproduced and in colour p. 110, fig. 91 (as Soreau);
G. Seelig, in Das Flämische Stillleben 1550–1680, C. Nitze-Ertz and U. Kleinmann (eds), exh. cat., Lingen 2002, p. 256, under cat. no. 84, reproduced fig. 84a;
H. Ludwig, in The Magic of Things, J. Sander (ed.), exh. cat., Frankfurt 2008, pp. 112–13, cat. no. 30, reproduced in colour (as Soreau).

The panel is cradled and flat. There appears to be a join or old split running the width of the panel just above centre. The paint surface is clean and well preserved and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a fine line of retouching along the aforementioned join and to a horizontal line running from the right-hand margin through the cherries to the edge of the basket, as well as small spot retouchings scattered in the apricots, around the plum hanging out of the basket, in the apple on the table, in the table surface and in the background. Slightly more concentrated areas are in the background in the upper left corner, in the lower left corner, and above the asparagus spears measuring no more than 2 x 3 cm. In overall good condition without a need for further intervention.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The son of Daniel Soreau (before 1565–1619), a wool merchant-turned-painter from Tournai in Flanders, Isaak was born in Hanau, a town close to Frankfurt, where his family had emigrated. Although he began his training in Hanau and is recorded there until 1626, it’s likely that he spent the next decade or so in Antwerp.

Like so many of Soreau’s still lifes, this painting bears the unmistakable influence of the Antwerp still-life painter Jacob van Hulsdonck (1582–1647) – during the artist's years in Antwerp, it is probable that he spent some time in Hulsdonck’s studio. Although very few works by Soreau are either signed or dated, the correspondence between the arrangement of fruit and vegetables in the basket and one of Soreau's rare signed paintings (Private Collection)¹ establishes this as a genuine work by the artist, as does its customary clarity of design. Soreau’s group of works featuring baskets of fruit and vegetables also includes a painting in the Staatliches Museum, Schwerin (inv. no. G 1110). Indeed, Bott suspects that Soreau's limited repertoire of models was based on an economic strategy: 'Series of paintings recognisably in the painter's style became 'brand-name goods' and the artist's resulting reputation made the paintings more valuable.'²

This lot is sold with a signed certificate from Dr. Fred G. Meijer dated 28 June 2017 endorsing the attribution to Soreau.

1 See Bott 2001, p. 187, cat. no. WV.IS.46, reproduced.
2 See Bott 2001, p. 89.