Pieter Casteels III

PIETER CASTEELS III (Antwerp, 1684 - Richmond, 1749)
"Nature morte au perroquet".
Oil on canvas.
Signed.
Provenance: Waterman collection, Heuriger, Bâle.
Measurements: 64 x 50,3 cm.

This work constitutes a magnificent example of the virtuosity of Pieter Casteels III, Flemish painter specialized in still lifes of flowers, fruits and exotic birds, whose production is located between the baroque tradition of Antwerp and the decorative refinement that he developed later in England.

The composition presents a vase overflowing with flowers arranged with theatrical dynamism. Around it, ripe and open fruits display a tactile sensuality characteristic of late Flemish Baroque. The parrot, of intense presence, acts as a visual axis and provides an exoticism that connects with the European taste for species brought from overseas.

The light treatment, with an open landscape in the background, creates atmospheric depth and highlights the vibrant colors of the whole. The meticulousness in the depiction of petals, feathers and fruit skins reveals the artist's Flemish training and his affinity with the tradition of Jan van Huysum.

Trained in Antwerp with his father, Pieter Casteels III moved to England in 1708 and spent most of his career there, becoming a leading figure in the decorative genre in 18th century London.

He settled permanently in England around 1717, where he worked for an aristocratic clientele -among them James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby- and combined painting with the activity of art dealer and importer of European works. In 1726 he began a successful series of engravings of birds, followed by the famous publications The Twelve Months of Flowers (1730) and The Twelve Months of Fruit (1732), considered early milestones in botanical illustration and in the history of the horticultural catalog in England.

Among the institutions that house his works are the British Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge).