Circle of Juan van der Hamen y León (Spanish 1596 - 1632)A basket, dish and plates of fruit on a table top with a jug, glasses of wineOil on canvas68.5 x 124cm (26¾ x 48¾ in.)Provenance:Berwick House, Shropshire Juan van der Hamen y (Gómez de) León was a Madrid born Spanish painter of Flemish heritage, and master of detailed still lives or bodegón. Despite painting numerous accomplished depictions of allegories, landscapes, and large scale works for churches, it is these still life depictions of pantry items for which Hamen is best remembered. As the son of a Flemish courtier, Hamen inherited his father's honorary positions at the court of Philip II and served as an unsalaried painter of the king. He went on to serve at the courts of Philip III and Philip IV. Through his portraiture Hamen achieved considerable personal fame. Philip IV was among those who sat for the artist, as well as several principal writers and intellectuals of the day, including Lope de Vega and Francisco de Rioja. Upon his death, aged 35, twenty portraits from this series still in the artist's possession, were highly praised by some of the most distinguished minds of the time, and used as a focal point for philosophical speculation of the art of portraiture.However, it was also during this time that the artist established the popularity of the new genre of still life in 1620s Madrid. Despite Hamen and his brothers attempting to emphasise their Spanish roots by using their maternal grandmother's family name Gómez de León, Hamen's still lives were arguably his most successful subjects and are painted in a markedly Flemish style. Indeed, the traditional of still life painting appears to have originated, and was far more popular in Flemish and Dutch art. In particular, the austere, muted style employed in his still lives can be seen in the present lot. In terms of Spanish art, Bodegón derives from the term bodega which can be loosely translated to 'pantry', 'tavern' or 'wine cellar'. As is the case here, a bodegón depicts pantry items including drink, drinking vessels, fruit, and often game, on a stone slab. As well as a clear Flemish influence, it can also be said that Harmen owed some of his compositional style to Juan Sanchez Cotan. This is identified by the inclusion of more elaborate objects including Venetian crystals, elaborate glassware, and ceramic vessels. The silhouetted objects are illuminated against a dark background and the zig-zag arrangement of the items creates an exaggerated sense of space. Unsurprisingly, Hamen was an important influence on many other artists working in Spain during this time despite dying at an early age. From 1626, Hamen experimented with more complex and varied compositions, placing a reduced number of objects on different levels. It can therefore be suggested that the present lot may have been painted by one of Hamen's contemporaries before this date.
Circle of Juan van der Hamen y León (Spanish 1596 - 1632)A basket, dish and plates of fruit on a table top with a jug, glasses of wineOil on canvas68.5 x 124cm (26¾ x 48¾ in.)Provenance:Berwick House, Shropshire Juan van der Hamen y (Gómez de) León was a Madrid born Spanish painter of Flemish heritage, and master of detailed still lives or bodegón. Despite painting numerous accomplished depictions of allegories, landscapes, and large scale works for churches, it is these still life depictions of pantry items for which Hamen is best remembered. As the son of a Flemish courtier, Hamen inherited his father's honorary positions at the court of Philip II and served as an unsalaried painter of the king. He went on to serve at the courts of Philip III and Philip IV. Through his portraiture Hamen achieved considerable personal fame. Philip IV was among those who sat for the artist, as well as several principal writers and intellectuals of the day, including Lope de Vega and Francisco de Rioja. Upon his death, aged 35, twenty portraits from this series still in the artist's possession, were highly praised by some of the most distinguished minds of the time, and used as a focal point for philosophical speculation of the art of portraiture.However, it was also during this time that the artist established the popularity of the new genre of still life in 1620s Madrid. Despite Hamen and his brothers attempting to emphasise their Spanish roots by using their maternal grandmother's family name Gómez de León, Hamen's still lives were arguably his most successful subjects and are painted in a markedly Flemish style. Indeed, the traditional of still life painting appears to have originated, and was far more popular in Flemish and Dutch art. In particular, the austere, muted style employed in his still lives can be seen in the present lot. In terms of Spanish art, Bodegón derives from the term bodega which can be loosely translated to 'pantry', 'tavern' or 'wine cellar'. As is the case here, a bodegón depicts pantry items including drink, drinking vessels, fruit, and often game, on a stone slab. As well as a clear Flemish influence, it can also be said that Harmen owed some of his compositional style to Juan Sanchez Cotan. This is identified by the inclusion of more elaborate objects including Venetian crystals, elaborate glassware, and ceramic vessels. The silhouetted objects are illuminated against a dark background and the zig-zag arrangement of the items creates an exaggerated sense of space. Unsurprisingly, Hamen was an important influence on many other artists working in Spain during this time despite dying at an early age. From 1626, Hamen experimented with more complex and varied compositions, placing a reduced number of objects on different levels. It can therefore be suggested that the present lot may have been painted by one of Hamen's contemporaries before this date.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
