CORNEILLE VAN SPAENDONCK (Tilburg 1756 – Paris 1839)
Still Life of Peaches and Grapes on a Marble Table with a Butterfly and other Insects
signed Corneille van Spaendonck in the lower right
oil on paper laid down on panel
8 ½ x 12 ¼ inches (21.8 x 30.7 cm.)
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Virginia, from whom acquired by
Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts, New York, 1996, where sold to
Private Collection, New Jersey, 1998 until the present time
Cornelis van Spaendonck was a painter of still lifes who first apprenticed with Willem Jacob Herreyns in 1773 while in Antwerp. Although Herreyns had also trained his brother Gerard, the apprenticeship was short-lived as that year Cornelis left for Paris. There Gerard trained him in painting flowers and fruit further ensuring that he received commissions. In 1789 Cornelis became a member of Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. From 1789 through to 1833 he exhibited at the Salons at the Louvre. From 1795 – 1800 Cornelis ran the renowned Sèrves porcelain factory. Until 1808 he continued creating their designs, and still later serving as an advisor.[1]
The majority of his works were flower pieces, with this being among his rare fruit works. Also atypical is the light background of the work which gives it a more contemporary feel. In Paris he adopted a French version of his name signing Corneille van Spaendonck, as in this example.
Works by Cornelis were included in the permanent collections of museums in Antwerp; Cambridge, United Kingdom; Carcassonne; ‘s-Hertogenbosch; Lyon and Paris.[2]
Dr. Sam Segal in a photo-certificate dated Amsterdam, March 29, 1996 confirmed this to be “a genuine and authentic work by the still life painter”