Stephanie G. Mathis A forgotten 17th century Flemish master Clara Peeters, painted a Still Life that hung for nearly 100 years in a Belgian private collection. The newly discovered artwork will be auctioned at . It could fetch anywhere between PS500,000 to PS700,000.
The painting shows a basket of flowers in bright shades of pink, yellow and white. Some of the flowers have wilted, and a butterfly and cricket are sitting among the petals on the ledge below.
Brian Boucher of Artnet was told by Elisabeth Lobkowicz that the painting had only been recently rediscovered and therefore, it has never been published. It has all of the hallmarks that her greatest works have. It’s meticulous, it’s vibrant, it’s luminous, it’s captivating.”
The sale occurs at a time when museum professionals express a desire for to correct persistent gender imbalances within their collections. This is especially difficult in periods of art history where men dominated. According to a Statement by Sotheby’s, “Clara Peeters is undoubtedly a trailblazer who paved the path for other women artists who specialize in the genre of still-life. This includes Rachel Ruysch Maria van Oosterwijck.”
Peeters has a mysterious aura. Her life is a mystery, as only 40 of her pieces are known to have been created. Her pieces are distinctly Antwerp-inspired, and many have distinctive marks.
Sotheby writes that “various attempts have been made” to positively identify her. “Perhaps, the most convincing suggestion would be that she is the Clara Lamberts born in Mechelen 1587. She married Antwerp artist Hendrick Pieters in 1605. Later on, she died in Ghent in the 1630s.”
Experts believe Peeters was taught by an experienced painter. however, there is no documentation to support her artistic training. The Antwerp painter’s guild records do not reveal any information regarding her life or career.
Peeters talent is obvious. She was an pioneer European Still-Life artist, known for her exact, meticulous depictions of nature. These included small details, such as dewdrops and insect bites.
Some of her works were so highly prized that they traveled great distances to be included in prestigious collections. By 1666, for example, two of her still-life kitchen paintings were in the Royal Collection at Madrid.
Harriet Sherwood, a Guardian reporter, told Chloe Stead that her paintings were prized and passed around. “[This] makes it so remarkable that she–like so many of her female contemporaries–were, over the centuries thereafter, written out of art history, and only rediscovered and reassessed in the mid-late 20th century.”
Peeters has sold Still Life With Pitcher And Cheese Plate for $1.7 Million, far more than the estimated $337,000 price. If the newly rediscovered painting surpasses its estimated value, it could be among the most valuable pieces of the artist.
Lobkowicz told Artnet that the painting was a “very exciting find” in “impeccable conditions.”
She adds, “What I like most about it is the fact that it’s small but has a huge visual impact.” It’s a kaleidoscope, full of colors and details. Expertly rendered.
