Flowers Around a Cartouche with an Image of Putto
Artist/Maker
Material / Technique
Dimensionsh x w: Mått 83 x 59 cm
Inventory numberNM 632
AcqusitionBequest 1863 of Martin von Wahrendorff, Marshal of the court
Other titlesTitel (sv): Blomsterprydd kartusch med putto Titel (en): Flowers Around a Cartouche with an Image of Putto
DescriptionRes. Katalogtext: Description in Flemish paintings C. 1600-C. 1800 III, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2010, cat.no. 176: Technical notes: The painting’s support is a single piece of coarse, plain weave fabric, loosely woven of irregularly spun threads, and with a selvedge at the right edge. The painting, which has never been lined, is mounted on an old stretcher. The verso of the stretcher carries an old inscription in dark brown ink, “Pater Dan: Séghers”. The tacking edges of the original fabric support have been preserved on all sides. Pronounced cusping is present along the top and right edges. The preparatory layers consist of an extremely thin white ground, which fills but does not hide the weave structure of the support, followed by a thin, evenly applied, reddish brown imprimatura, which is visible in many places as a result of the abrasion of the paint surface. Paint was applied thinly in opaque and semi-transparent layers, with minimal brushmarking and mild impastos in the highlights on individual blooms, the putto’s red mantle, the soap bubbles and oil lamp, and in the white flowers (roses, lilies). The petals of the pink roses, the carnations, and the “broken” veins of the tulips, were glazed with translucent red lakes, ranging from a cool purplish to a warm deep red hue. The yellowish white flesh tones of the putto, his red mantle, and many of the smaller blooms and leaves, were applied over the grey “stone” cartouche. Frequent major and minor contour adjustments in the petals of individual flowers, made during the painting process, have become visible to the naked eye, for example, in the large pink rose, tulip, and smaller violet bloom at the upper right, and the pink roses at the lower left and right. Small, flaked losses of the paint and ground layers occur along the edges. Scattered small retouches, visible in ultraviolet fluorescence, throughout the background, the cartouche, and along the edges, cover extensive abrasion of the thin upper layers. The outer contour of the volute at the upper left has been reinforced. Two horizontal cracks in the paint and ground layers extend through the chest and stomach of the putto. The more thickly painted flesh tones of the putto display a pronounced craquelure. Some of the pigments used, notably the red and yellow lakes, have suffered damage from fading, as well as from overcleaning. The present grey-blue appearance of the leaves no doubt resulted from fading of a yellow lake pigment mixed with blue to produce a rich green colour. The painting underwent conservation treatment in 1861, 1929, 1965 and 1999. Provenance: Coll. Holterman-Wahrendorff; bequeathed by Martin von Wahrendorff in 1863; KM 1861, no. 1205. Exhibited: Läckö 1999, no. 2. Bibliography: Sander II, p. 117, no. 5 (as manner of Daniel Seghers); NM Cat. 1867, p. 45; Göthe 1887, p. 245 (as manner of Daniel Seghers); Göthe 1893, p. 300 (as manner of Daniel Seghers); NM Cat. 1958, p. 184 (as manner of Daniel Seghers); NM Cat. 1990, p. 332 (as manner of Daniel Seghers). This somewhat timeworn painting depicts a stone ornament surrounded by flowers, butterflies, grubs and flies. In the centre a putto is portrayed with a skull in his right hand and a blowpipe in the left from which bubbles are emerging. A lamp which can also be seen has been lit. A devotional image such as this can be seen as a vanitas symbol, perhaps taken from an emblem book such as Otto Vaenius’ “Amorum Emblemata” or “Divini Amoris Emblemata”.1 The garlands around the cartouche display flowers of different kinds – Ivy, Columbines, Jasmine, Austrian Briar, White Roses of York, Stinking Irises, Pomegranates, Rose des Peintres, Tulips, Snowdrops, Hyacinths, Austrian Copper Briars, Border Carnations, Dwarf Nasturtiums, Christmas Roses, Morning Glorys, Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen, Cornflowers, Seville Oranges and White-Flowered Asphodels. Doubts were already expressed by Sander and Göthe as to whether this was a work by Seghers himself. Upon close comparison with no. 175, an autograph painting by Daniel Seghers, it must be concluded that this painting could be a contemporary copy of a lost work by Seghers. According to tradition the original putto figure was painted by Gerard Seghers. GCB 1 The first editions of these books were published in Antwerp 1608 and 1615.[End]
Motif categoryStill life
Collection
TechniquePainting
Object category
Keyword