Still life with birds and raisins, workshop of Frans Snyders (1579-1657)
An exquisite and attractive work, our painting with its rich and harmonious composition is one of the remarkable examples of the passion of art lovers of the 17th century for still lifes, the genre in full ferment in Antwerp in early 17th century, long before its arrival to Paris in the 1630s & 40s.
Our painting presents on an entablature covered with wine-colored velvet cloth, various objects in an artistic arrangement which is intended to be spontaneous.
The tight framing, like an extract and the piled up objects suggest a plenitude and an infinite richness of what nature can offer and reinforce the feeling of prosperity.
The wicker basket overflowing with translucent bunches of grapes in green and purplish hues with icy reflections dominates the right side of the painting.
In the center is the game birds, partridge, snipe, sparrow, pincon and others, each bird with a fine and precise design, transparent plumage, the meticulous rendering of the different beak or leg parts, zebrures and streaks of the down.
On the left, two stacked white and blue Chinese porcelain Wan-li bowls with shiny and shiny red langoustines.
The bowl tilted to the left and the basket tilted to the right bring a kind of symmetry to the composition and lock it in forcing the viewer to contemplate the painting.
The gaze never ceases to fall on bunches of grapes, whose irresistibly velvety fruits with a translucent finish bring incredible vitality to the composition.
The surprising lightness of the brushstrokes to illustrate the transparency of two barely visible wine glasses, the shape of which is outlined against a black background in the background.
The sandstone pitcher with warm ocher and the vermeil salt shaker fill the bottom of the left side of the painting.
Intense light focused on objects standing out against a darkened background creates contrast enhanced by porcelain white, feathers and grape skin.
With remarkable finesse, the artist strives to paint birds' feathers and down to achieve a very realistic effect. These many small lines are made using brushes with a single bristle. This incredible thoroughness allows us to appreciate all the talent and patience shown by the painter.
The way in which surfaces and materials are treated evokes a great mastery of the brush.
Oil on oak panel (parqueted).
Dimensions: h. 55 cm, l. 80 cm
Baroque style gilded wood frame, framed dimensions: h. 73 cm, l. 98 cm
Our work is a workshop cover with identical dimensions of Frans Snyders' painting in a private collection, Christie's New York sale, 4/6/2014 (realized price $ 461,000).
A variant of this composition with the basket of identical grapes and game by Frans Snyders was sold at Lempertz, Cologne, Germany, 11/14/2020 (realized price € 143,750)
Frans Snyders (Antwerp, 1579-1657)
Frans Snyders entered the studio of Peter Brueghel II in 1593, at the age of 14. Master in 1602, he went to Italy, to Rome and then to Milan. Back in Antwerp, he specialized in still lifes and his reputation quickly spread, to the point that Rubens called on him between 1611 and 1616 to collaborate on some of his works. Having married Marguerite de Vos, sister of Cornelis and Paul de Vos in 1611, he greatly influenced the latter. Member of the Society of Romanists in Antwerp in 1619, he became its dean in 1628. He established himself as one of the most important and recognized painters of his time, receiving many prestigious commissions. The body of his paintings being quite large, he works with many collaborators in his studio, and his best known students are Paul de Vos, Nicasius Bernaerts and Jan Fyt.