Beschreibung:

DescriptionStill-life Paintings from the Collection of Dr Sam Segal
Jacques de ClaeuwDordrecht 1623 - 1694 LeidenVanitas still life with a skull, a violin, a cittern, playing cards, books, a globe and other objects on a draped table
signed centre: JDClaeuwoil on canvasunframed: 48 x 41.2 cm.; 19 x 16¼ in.framed: 62.5 x 56 cm.; 24⅝ x 22 in.Condition reportThe canvas is lined and the paint surface is in a clean condition under a modern glossy varnish. Small pockets of yellowed varnish can be found in the blue draperies. The paint surface is slightly abraded throughout the painting and there are no visible paint losses. There are some nice passages of impasto evident, particularly in the blue and red draperies and in the highlights. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows scattered retouching throughout the entire canvas. These are concentrated in the blacks and dark colours, particularly in the background on the right hand side. The darks in the bottom half of the painting and around the celestial globe bear strong signs of retouching. Strengthening is found throughout the painting, particularly surrounding some of the objects on the table. The painting is in moderate condition. The work is offered in a ebony style frame.
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The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.Catalogue noteJacques de Claeuw, also known as Jacques Grief, was a co-founder of the painters' guild in his hometown of Dordrecht in 1642. In 1649 he married the daughter of Jan van Goyen and the couple moved to Leiden here he died in 1694. His work is comprised entirely of still lifes, which he produced in various cities including Haarlem, Dordrecht, Leiden and possibly Amsterdam.
This particular vanitas painting is filled with a myriad of objects that point towards the transience of life. Musical instruments, such as the baroque violin, oboe and cittern (an instrument often played by women) allude to the fleeting nature of life as comparable to the fleeting performance of music. Sealed contracts and tatty books portray man's preoccupation with world-bound knowledge and promises that cannot be taken into the next life. These are contrasted with the mysteries of the afterlife, represented by a celestial globe shrouded in a black cloth. Golden crowns are replaced by fragile worthless straw, which decorates a skull as an inversion of worldly pride and fame. Finally, the glowing ember of a candle wick on the far right, on the verge of being extinguished, symbolises the finite span of man's life.
A similar yet mirrored composition with violin, instruments and contracts was sold in these rooms in 2002.1
1 Sotheby's, London, 31 October 2002, lot 106.