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7 novembre 2008

Arnold Boonen, Portrait of Jan van Huysum (1682 - 1749), half length, standing behind a stone pedestal, a palette and paint brus

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Arnold Boonen, Portrait of Jan van Huysum (1682 - 1749), half length, standing behind a stone pedestal, a palette and paint brushes in his left hand, a drawing of a bouquet of flowers in his other hand, a drawing of a landscape beneath

oil on canvas, unlined - 99.2 by 84 cm. - Estimate 60,000—100,000 EUR

PROVENANCE : Possibly Gerrit Braamcamp, Amsterdam;
Jan Jansz Gildemeester, Amsterdam;
By whose Executors sold, Amsterdam, Roos, 11 June 1800, lot 22, for 80 Guilders to La Bouchere;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 30 january 1981, lot 31 (as a self-portrait by Justus van Huysum).

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES : F. Meijer, 'De Portretten van Jan van Huysum door Arnold Boonen en anderen', in Oud Holland, 108, 1994, no. 3. p.128-30, reproduced p. 129, fig. 4.
S. Segal, M. Ellens and Joris Dik, The Temptation of Flora. Jan van Huysum (1682-1749), exhibition catalogue, Delft/Houston 2006, p. 137, reproduced p. 137, fig. H1.2.

NOTE : The sitter in this portrait can be identified with one of the most famous of all still life painters, Jan van Huysum (1682-1749). His work is distinguished by the combination of his unrivalled technical mastery and for his new, exuberant compositions. During his lifetime his work was highly sought after and his international clientele, that included members of numerous European dynasties, eagerly paid high prices for his superb still lifes (see fig. 1).

Arnold Boonen painted at least four portraits of Jan van Huysum, of which three are known today.1 Two portraits were previously considered as self-portraits2, the one here as a self-portrait of Justus van Huysum (the father of the present sitter)3 and one we only know from a mezzotint by Arnoud van Halen after a painting by Arnold Boonen4. Fred Meijer was the first who rightly attributed all these portraits to Arnold Boonen and dated them around 1720. This corresponds with the age of the sitter in the present work, who is clearly in his mid to late thirties, whereas the father, Justus, died in 1716 at age 56.

As Meijer stipulated, the loose and free brushstrokes in this painting do not relate to any known work of Van Huysum, who typicaly produced highly meticiously painted still lifes. As suggested by Meijer, the portrait fits really well in the later portrait production of Arnold Boonen. Born in Dordrecht, but active in Amsterdam from 1696, he soon became the leading portraitist in Amsterdam and was as such the appriopriate candidate to portray the likeness of the foremost flower painter of his day.

Moreover, Jan van Gool, the 18th Century biographer, already mentioned Arnold Boonen as the author of a portrait of the famous still life painter: [..] among others I have seen a portrait by him of Jan van Huysum., the phoenix of Flower painters. Every element of this Portrait has been executed with supreme skill, and made so perfectly in the manner of Schal(c)ken that I would have believed it to be by this master, had I not known it to be by Boonen. It was a perfect likeness of Van Huysum, and was painted in exchange for one of Van Huysum's flower pieces, Art for Art, both works commanding mutual admiration. Boonen later sold the flower piece for 300 guilders.5

Another document mentioning Boonen as the author of a portrait of Van Huysum is the sale catalogue of the famous art collection of Jan Jansz Gildemeester in Amsterdam, which was auctioned on 11 June 1800 (see Provenance). The description matches this lot:
A. BOONEN. No . 22. h. 37, w. 30 inches [duim]. Canvas. Portrait of Jan van Huysum, the Phoenix of flower and fruit painters: he is depicted life-sized, half-length, standing at a table, a silk cloak draped around him, his left hand holding his palette and brushes and the right holding a drawing. This piece was made in exchange for a flower piece that the famous J. van Huysum did him the honor of presenting to him as a gift; and the masterful artistic skill he brought to bear in it, with his gentle and delicate brushwork, equals that of G. Schal(c)ken.6 Interestingly, Gildemeester was an avid collector of Van Huysum's work and with 11 paintings and 46 drawings, he was the artist best represented in Gildemeester's collection.7 According to Bruyn Kops, Gildemeester bought his portrait of Van Huysum from Gerrit Braamcamp, the prominent Amsterdam collector.8

When we compare this portrait to the other known versions, the informal character of the portrait becomes evident, most notably in the loosened top of his white shirt. Furthermore, the tools of his trade are more emphasised in this work, taking centre stage in the composition. Therefore, it has been suggested that the present painting may well have been made for the artist's own enjoyment. We do not know whether this portrait was still in the family's possession as a keepsake of their illustrious father, or sold during his lifetime since the painting was not included in the sale of the artist's estate in 1749.

1. See Meijer under Literature, pp. 128-30.
2. One portrait is in the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, the other in a private collection, see Segal, et.al. under Literature, p.135-8, cat. no. H1.
3. As it was catalogued by Christie's (see Provenance).
4. Meijer, op. cit., p. 130, reproduced fig. 6.
5. Quoted from Segal, op. cit., p. 135.
6. Idem, p. 137.
7. Idem, p. 137.
8. See C.J. de Bruyn Kops, 'De Amsterdamse verzamelaar Jan Gildemeester Janz', in Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum, 13, 1965, no. 3, pp. 79-114, p. 99.

Sotheby's. Old Master Paintings. 11 Nov 08. Amsterdam. www.sothebys.com. photo courtesy Sotheby's

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