NICOLAES VAN VERENDAEL | A still life of a red and white tulip, a carnation, roses, forget-me-nots, dwarf morning glory, nasturtiums and other flowers in a glass vase together with butterflies and other insects, all on a stone ledge with a watch and a key on a blue satin ribbon

Probably sale, Paris, Me Baudoin, 26 December 1797, lot 81 ("Une carafe de verre, remplie de fleurs variées, telles que roses, tulypes, oeillets. cloches, &c.; le tout pose sur une table de pierre, òu est aussi pose une montre òu tient un ruban bleu & une clef. L'on y remarque encore trois papillons & quelques autres insectes. Ce tableau est un des plus beaux que l'on puisse trouver de ce maître. - Hauteur 16 pouces, largeur 12 po. 1/2. C.").

A l'œil nu : Le tableau se présente dans un état de conservation satisfaisant. Il est peint sur une plaque de cuivre. Dans la partie supérieure, on note la présence d'un léger gondolement. Quelques petits manques de matière picturale sont visibles : au moins quatre situés dans les fleurs oranges. De même, au niveau de la signature, on remarque des tous petits manques ainsi que dans certaines feuilles sur la gauche de la composition. On remarque des restaurations au niveau de la montre, du contour de la niche à gauche, ainsi que dans la partie supérieure de celle-ci. Une intervention semble avoir été opérée dans la partie noire sous le piédestal et autour des feuilles à gauche. Les fleurs sont très bien préservées. A la lampe U.V. : On remarque la présence des restaurations déjà mentionnées. On remarque aussi des reprises le long du cadre ainsi que dans le coin supérieur gauche. Le tableau est vendu dans un cadre noir moderne de style ancien. With the naked eye: The painting looks overall in good condition. It is painted on a nice piece of copper plate which carries a cradling on the reverse which is semi-attached. In the upper part, we note the presence of a slight warping of the copper plate. Some tiny paint losses are visible: four are scattered on the orange flowers. Also, in the signature area, and around the left leaves, there appear to be similar paint losses. Some retouching can be seen in the watch area, and in the contours of the niche. Others are to been scattered in the black zone on the base. A repaint seems to have been done in the black area under the pedestal and around on the left leaves. The flowers are very well preserved. Inspection underneath U.V. light: Confirms the presence of retouching mentioned above and there seems to be some overpaint alongside the edges and in the upper left corner. The painting is offered with a black and wooden modern frame of an ancient style.
"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."

Nicolaes van Verendael (or Veerendael) was born in Antwerp in 1640, training under his father, Willem van Veerendael, before joining the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1657. Highly regarded in his own lifetime, he collaborated with other leading Antwerp masters such as David Teniers the Younger and Jan Davidsz. de Heem, and through pupils such as Jean-Baptiste Morel, had a profound impact on eighteenth-century Flemish flower painting. Famed for his closely studied effects of light - displayed here in the water droplets on the ledge, and in the two reflections of the painter's studio window in the glass vase -, the verisimilitude of his flowers is equally striking, and indeed according to the eighteenth-century biographer Jacob Campo Weyerman, it sometimes took him four(!) days to finish a single flower (see De levens-beschryvingen der Nederlandsche konst-schilders en konst-schilderessen, vol. III, 1729, pp. 234-5).

As the present work is painted on a large copper plate this contributes to its delicately polished and stylized quality. Based on stylistic comparisons, we see a debt to previous Antwerp masters such as Daniel Seghers (1590-1661) and Jan Breughel the Elder (1563-1625) in the controlled palette and composition. Van Veerendael's bouquets from the 1670s and 1680s are more informal, and insects and vanitas elements are sometimes included. Celebrated during his lifetime as a painter of still lifes in vases, garlands and swags, Nicolaes van Veerendael achieved early renown and collaborated with other illustrious painters such as David Teniers II, Carstian Luyckx, Gonzales Coques, and Jan Davidsz. de Heem. The bold contrasting colors (frequently featuring pinks and reds in the same composition), expert use of whites and careful attention to the play of light for which Veerendael was renowned are all evident in the present vibrant and sumptuous composition, which dates to the artist's full mature period of the early 1680s. 

Dr. Fred Meijer has kindly confirmed the attribution on the basis of photographs.