Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Jean-Michel Picart (Antwerp, 1600 - Paris, 1682)
Still Life of Flowers
Oil on canvas
85 x 73 cm.
In frame 100 x 88 cm.
Provenance: Galerie Fischer Auktionen, Lucerne (Switzerland), 26-12-2014, lot 1015 (catalogue page 25)* Est: CHF 17,000-25,000
The sumptuous still life on offer here is the work of Jean-Michel Picart (Antwerp, 1600 - Paris, 1682), an artist of Flemish origin who occupied a significant place in Paris during the Grand Siècle as a master in the field of floral still lifes: with its saturated colours, dazzling light and masterful compositions, the painting represents one of the finest examples of his production.
After his apprenticeship in Antwerp, according to sources a pupil in the workshop of Frans Francken Il, around 1625 Picart moved to Paris, where he remained for the rest of his life, and had a brilliant career
His appreciation is evidenced by the great success his still lifes enjoyed in the second half of the 17th century, sought after by many French collectors and by King Louis XIV himself, who appointed him court painter in 1671.
Numerous works by the Flemish painter were in fact kept in the royal palaces of Versailles and Marly, as reported in an inventory of the time: the bedroom of the king, the queen and the king's mother were all decorated with paintings by Picart, as were the bedrooms of the Palais Royal and the palace of Fontainebleau.
Initially he painted still lifes in a refined and sober style, such as those of Louise Moillon or Lubin Baugin, later he moved towards a more charged art and baskets, vases and curtains with a baroque effect accumulated in his paintings, bringing him closer to Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer.
List of works
Flowers in a Glass Vase , Saint-Étienne , Musée d'Art Moderne
Basket of Peaches and Grapes , Karlsruhe , Staatliche Kunsthalle
Still Life with Flowers and Fruit , 1640 , Portland , Museum of Art
Flowers in a Vase , Fontainebleau , National Castle Museum
Vase of flowers on an entablature , Troyes, Musée des Beaux-Arts
Bouquet of flowers in a vase with leaf decoration in relief , circa 1630, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
