Lot 173. Willem Claesz. Heda (Haarlem circa 1596 – 1680), Still life of oysters, a nautilus cup, a roemer, lemon and other objects. Estimation 30,000 — 40,000 GBP. Lot Sold 98,500 GBP. Photo Sotheby's

signed and dated lower right: HEDA 1662, oil on oak panel, 52.6 by 67.4 cm.; 20 3/4 by 26 1/2 in. 

Provenance: Henry Richard Greville, 3rd Earl of Warwick (1779–1853);
Thence by descent, offered for sale ('By Order of the Trustees of The Warwick Castle Settlement'), London, Christies, 21 June 1968, lot 58 (withdrawn).

Exposition: New York, Metropolitan Museum, on long term loan.

Litterature: Cooper’s, History of Warwick and Guide to the Castle, illustrated, 1850, p.106, hanging in the Billiard Room;
W. Kendall, Inventory of Warwick Castle, ms., 1853, as ('Still Life by Heem (sic) 1662'), in the Billiard Room;
Anon., Inventory of Warwick Castle, ms., circa 1860, in the Billiard Room;
Anon., Inventory of the contents of Warwick Castle, ms., 1900, in the Morning Room.

This is a mature work by Heda, incorporating several of the objects and props that fill a number of works from preceding years, such as the elaborate mother-of-pearl nautilus cup. In late works such as this Heda has clearly abandoned the monochromebanketjes that dominated his youth and early maturity, towards the more sumptuouspronk still lifes popularised by Jan Davidsz. de Heem and Willem Kalf.