£34,617
The Classic Tradition : European Art from 15th to 19th Centuries | 586
Auction: 30 October 2019 at 13:00 GMT
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated 1778
Provenance: John Bolton Esq of Storrs Hall, Windermere; Rev J Staniforth; in the collection of Annabella, Lady Boughey; W A Fletcher D.S.O; Christies, May 15th 1914; Sir Clement M Royds; Private Collection.
Note: Paul Theodor van Brussel (Dutch 1754–1795)’s beautifully executed Still Life of Spring Flowers in a Footed Urn is a stunning example of an 18th century Dutch floral still life. With irises, daffodils, tulips, peonies, delphiniums and other flowers in perfect bloom, overlapping and intertwining with one another, and inclusions of a butterfly gently hovering over the arrangement, a small nest cradling eggs and delicate drops of water shining from petals and leaves, the artist's attention to extraordinary naturalistic detail typifies the late Dutch style of flower painting.
Van Brussel was born near Schoonhoven, Netherlands in 1754. His first teacher was the Haarlem painter Jan Augustini (1729–1773), a landscape painter who started his career working on pictures of flora for botanists. Van Brussel worked for Augustini, making decorative paintings for the walls of wealthy patrons' homes. He continued his career as a pupil under Hendrik Meyer of Haarlem, who is best known for his meticulous draftsmanship of figured landscapes.
First employed in the manufacture of tapestry, Van Brussel afterwards devoted his attention entirely to nature and became one of the best still life artists of his time. Van Brussel’s life was tragically cut short when he drowned while ice skating at the age of 41. This accident has meant that his works are rare but highly sought after by private collectors and institutions. His colourful and highly finished paintings feature in prominent collections throughout Europe including the collections of the National Gallery, London, and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.