Lot 72: Juan van der Hamen y L‚on (Madrid 1596-1632)

Figs and grapes in a basket on a ledge oil on canvas 22 x 25 in. (55.9 x 63.5 cm.) NOTES The son of a man of means and noble birth, van der Hamen, though short-lived, became one of the most illustrious painters active in Madrid. An able painter of portraits as well as religious works, Juan van der Hamen made a speciality of still lifes, often including in them the luxurious objects that appealed to the courtly tastes of his affluent patrons. The first record of his activity as a painter is found in the accounts of the royal household of El Pardo in September 1619 when he was paid 100 reales for a fruit and game piece. The demand for such works meant that he maintained a repertory of still life motifs which he used over and again in varying combinations throughout his career. The present work is among a small number of still lifes in which the fruit is placed centrally on an independent stone plinth, rather than on the usual niche. Included in this group are a Still Life with Quinces, Pears and other Fruit, sold at Christie's, New York, 19 May 1993, lot 196, and a Still Life with Peaches in a Basket offered at Christie's, New York, 15 January 1985, lot 35, two paintings which subsequent to their appearance at auction have been accepted as fully autograph works by van der Hamen. We are grateful to Dr. William B. Jordan for examining the present work in person and confirming the attribution to van der Hamen; he will include it in his forthcoming catalogue raisonn‚ of the artist's paintings.