Isac Vromans - Sous-bois Still Life with a Nest, Dragonfly, Butterfly, Lizard, and white Azaleas - image-1

Lot 2090 Dα

Isac Vromans - Sous-bois Still Life with a Nest, Dragonfly, Butterfly, Lizard, and white Azaleas

Auction 1153 - overview Cologne
30.05.2020, 11:00 - Fine Art
Estimate: 18.000 € - 25.000 €
Result: 22.500 € (incl. premium)

Isac Vromans

Sous-bois Still Life with a Nest, Dragonfly, Butterfly, Lizard, and white Azaleas

Oil on canvas (relined). 80 x 65 cm.

As in the present work, Isac Vroman frequently painted still lifes within the context of nature. He often painted these kinds of so-called sous-bois still lifes, which gained in popularity especially through the painter Otto Marseus van Schrieck. These still lifes differ from other compositional styles in which the objects depicted are typically arranged indoors and in which artificial bouquets of flowers, food and domestic items are depicted.
Here the artist has created a seemingly peaceful and idyllic forest scene. A bird rests quietly in its nest while a peacock butterfly flies by and white azalea flowers grow from a mossy tree. On closer inspection, however, and typical of Roman's composition, is the presence of a small reptile, a lizard, crawling unseen to its nest. This detail serves as a memento mori, a reminder of death.
The presence of such a symbol binds the present painting to the great traditions of still life, which have made great use of this symbolism. Most characteristically, this is found in the image of a skull or a fly and serves the viewer as a virtuous reminder of the sins of superficiality and frivolity. We would like to thank Dr Fred Meijer for confirming the authenticity of this work upon examination of high-resolution photographs.

Provenance

Collection of Queen Charlotte Auguste of England.- Lempertz auction 540, Cologne, 14.11.1974, lot 203. - Private collection, Great Britain.