KOLLER VIEW 1/25

pre view. 02 5 2 3 Splendour and Transience Preview of the OldMaster Paintings auction on 28March 2025 A previously unknown flower still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder will be offered in our Old Master Paintings auction on 28 March (ill. 1). A butterfly and two snail shells enliven the composition. The many dif- ferent flowers, crowned by a Siberian iris, are arranged in such a way that they barely overlap, which emphasises their unique quali- ties. Even the stone niche behind them is depicted in an astonishingly three-di- mensional manner. Bosschaert was a pioneer in floral still life painting at the beginning of the 17 th century. The burgeoning enthusi- asm of amateur botanists for the rare plants which they cultivated in their gar- dens was likely a factor in the increased demand for flower still lifes as an inde- pendent genre in painting. The still life by Pieter Claesz. from a Belgian private col- lection is also a rediscovery (ill. 3). A typical late-period monochrome by the Haarlem painter, it shows a small meal consisting of fish, a loaf of bread and three onions. 1 Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (1573–1621). Bouquet of flowers in a roemer glass. Circa 1620. Oil on copper. 26.3 × 17.1 cm. Estimate: CHF 250 000/350 000 2 Clara Peeters (circa 1587–after 1636). Still life with fish, prawns and oysters. Oil on panel. 31.2 × 47 cm. Estimate: CHF 70 000/100 000 3 Pieter Claesz (circa 1597–circa 1660). Still life with herring, bread, beer glass, wine-filled roemer glass and stoneware Bartmann jug. Oil on panel. 40 × 55.4 cm. Estimate: CHF 40 000/60 000 Food and drink are arranged on a table; a knife and a small plate are depicted next to a full-bodied Bartmann jug. The play of light on the surfaces is masterly: the golden yellow colour of the wine glows in the roemer glass, and the surrounding space is reflected in the stoneware glaze of the overturned jug. Following the success of an important falcon painting in our September auction, we are now pleased to of- fer another still life by the highly talented Flemish artist Clara Peeters (ill. 2). The fish and crustaceans depicted, with a carp and a pike in the foreground, come from the regional waters of the southern Netherlands; Peeters was able to study live specimens in the local markets. The reflections on the metal sieve show Peeters' pre- dilection for reflected light and the naturalistic depic- tion of various materials. The present painting proba- bly dates from around 1611, and is therefore one of the earliest known fish still lifes. For further information Old Master Paintings Karoline Weser weser@kollerauctions.com Online catalogues www.kollerauctions.com