Peeter van Loon

PEETER VAN LOON (Haarlem, 1731-1784).
"Vase with flowers and bunches of grapes".
Watercolor on paper adhered to board.
Signed in the lower right part.
Measurements: 55 x 41 cm; 75.5 x 61 cm (frame).

This sumptuous floral still life, signed by the Flemish painter Peeter van Loon, embodies the visual lavishness and technical virtuosity that characterize the pictorial tradition of the 17th century in the Netherlands. In the center of the composition stands a bronze vase holding an exuberant profusion of flowers arranged in a studied disorder. Tulips of various shapes and colors intermingle with chrysanthemums, lilies and roses with buds open in sensual fullness. The palette, dominated by shades of mauve, golden yellows and deep blues, oscillates between delicate and vibrant, generating a beautiful chromatic symphony.

Peeter van Loon was a Flemish Baroque painter. According to Houbraken, who quoted Cornelis De Bie, he was good at painting perspectives and buildings. He was born and died in Antwerp in the 17th century, but died before De Bie's book was written in 1662. According to the Netherlands Institute of Art History, he was the son of the painter Guillaume van Loon and Margrita Ingenhave. In 1652 and 1660, he is registered as a bachelor and is known for his historical allegories. He was mentioned in the Antwerp Liggeren as a recipient of an ecclesiastical payment in 1638.