Albertus Jonas Brandt (1787-1821), Attrib. - Natura morta con vaso di fiori, farfalle e nido con uova

ALBERTUS JONAS BRANDT (attributed to)

Amsterdam, 1788 – 1821

“Natura morta con vaso di fiori, farfalle e nido con uova”

Dimensions: 107 x 84 cm in frame
Canvas: 90 x 70 cm

Dating: circa 1810–1821
Technique: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 90 × 70 cm
Genre: floral still life
Scope: Dutch school, first quarter of the 19th century

Attribution status: attributed to Albertus Jonas Brandt
Provenance: Christie’s – verso, stamp of the auction house with number 5227 and barcode 5711410.

Estimate: 3,500.00 – 5,000.00 euros

Description

The work presents a rich floral arrangement arranged vertically within a vase, placed on a stone surface. The bouquet comprises numerous botanical varieties, carefully differentiated by shape, texture and color: roses, tulips, white and blue flowers, and other elements are arranged in an ascending sequence, culminating in the large red flower at the top.
The construction is enriched by small natural elements — in particular butterflies and other insects — and by the notable nest with five eggs placed on the lower right edge. These details introduce a narrative and naturalistic component to the still life that is typically North European.
Particularly effective is the contrast between the brown background on the left and the lighter, warmer, golden area on the right, against which the profiles of the flowers, stems and nest stand out very clearly.

Attribution

The attribution to Albertus Jonas Brandt stylistically coheres with the artist’s known repertoire, especially for the vertical construction of the bouquet, the precise botanical characterization, the miniature-like attention to detail, and the inclusion of animal and natural elements.

Brandt was a pupil of J.E. Morel and, from 1808 to 1810, of Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os; historical sources also note his activity as a copyist and student of Jan van Huysum. A particularly relevant comparison is Still Life: Fruit, Flowers, Leaves and a Bird Nest on a Plinth, dated about 1813–1821 and housed at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, which features the very association between vegetation and a bird’s nest.

Documentation from the Rijksmuseum also records Brandt as a painter of flowers and fruit and recalls floral works that entered the collections in the 19th century.

Frame

The work is housed in a significant gilded wooden frame with raised/relief decoration, in Neoclassical/early 19th-century taste, characterized by a multi-tiered profile.
The outer band features a fine continuous botanical ornament; followed by a broad gilded gilding groove and, inwardly, a pronounced ornamental band with a lanceolate leaf motif arranged obliquely and central foliate motifs. A thin inner seal decorated completes the junction with the canvas.
The frame shows warm and naturally heterogeneous gilding, with slight abrasions, small losses and marks compatible with its age.

Condition Report

Overall condition: good, for its age, re-lined work.
The painting surface appears generally stable and legible. In macro-photographic details, a diffuse craquelure is clearly visible, predominantly fine but with some more evident lines, affecting both the light areas of the flowers, the background, and some elements of the composition.
The craquelure is overall compatible with the natural aging of preparatory and paint layers. No extensive recent losses of paint or macroscopic lifts are observed, though localized fragility of the paint film cannot be excluded without a close inspection.

There are abrasions and small superficial marks, as well as uneven varnish and surface texture. Some areas seem to show slightly altered or yellowed varnish, a phenomenon that may contribute to the overall warm tonal balance.

The nesting detail shows a well-preserved painted surface in the main descriptive passages, with craquelure and minute abrasions consistent with those observable elsewhere in the work.

*** Photographic note

Some photographs of the work were taken using professional studio lighting and spotlights to enhance readability of the composition, details and painting material. This lighting may cause slight variations in color perception and brightness compared with direct viewing of the work. The photographs are for illustrative and documentary purposes only.

The frame is provided free of charge with the work and should be considered an accessory element, not included in the monetary valuation of the painting. Given the natural fragility of old gilded frames, any damage, splitting, breaks or losses to parts of the frame that occur during transport or shipping cannot be the subject of reimbursement, indemnity or dispute regarding the painting’s value. Packaging will, however, be prepared with the utmost care to ensure, as far as possible, safe transport.

Insured shipping
Attribution Expert Report

*** For historical-interest reasons the work cannot be shipped outside the European Community / insured shipping in a wooden crate