384-1 - Huybert VAN WESTHOVEN (1642/43-1712)

Huybert VAN WESTHOVEN (1642/43-1712) Still life with fruit and precious objects on an entablature Oil on canvas. H_69.5 cm W_55 cm Faded. Signed lower right. Related works: Nature morte aux fruits with a lobster in a porcelain cup and a cut lemon a cut lemon, oil on canvas, 120 x 102 cm, Sotheby's New York sale January 12, 1995 (sold for $55,000) Peaches, grapes, plums and other fruits on a silver plate, oil on canvas, 68.5 x 72.5 cm, Christie's London sale, July 13, 2001 (sold for £15,000) Huybert van Westhoven was born in The Hague around 1642 and died in Amsterdam in 1712. We know that he married twice and had several children, but his career his career is still largely unknown. The few works that have come down to us are of a quality that has nothing to envy envy the work of Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Willem Claesz. Heda, Pieter Claesz, Osias Beert and Wilhem Kalf. In the 17th century, the United Provinces enjoyed a period of prosperity still life established itself as a genre in its own right, appreciated for its realism and the richness of its settings. They were transported by ship to neighboring countries, and in particular to the French market, which was very active at the time. Vanities are one of the most distinctive of the genre. They remind us of the fleeting nature of beauty, of beauty, youth and material wealth, evoking the irreversible passage of time and the inevitability of death. They invite us to meditate on the fragility the fragility of the human condition and spiritual values. Our painting features luxury items that suggest the wealth and good taste of their owners. of their owners: a large nautilus mounted on a pedestal and a Chinese porcelain cup. The opened wine glass, barely visible in the background of the composition, and the pocket watch with its gilded chain and key and key, reinforce the notion of vanity by reminding us of the ephemeral ephemeral nature of passing time.