Harmen Loeding (c.1637-c.1673). Still Life With Cherries, Citrus, Grapes And Glass Of Wine

Oil on oak panel, three plates attached. Old frame with inverted profile with brown tortoiseshell veneer interspersed with black molded wooden sticks. Dimensions with frame: 89 x 74 cm. The panel alone: 65 x 50 cm In this very beautiful still life Harmen Loeding presents in harmony on a table partially covered with a blue fabric with fringes, citrus, clusters of white grapes with its intertwined vine branches, pumpkin and cherries in translucent red. In the center stands a large glass of wine called "Roemer" where the window of the room is reflected on the edge. The background is sober, an overhead light illuminates the entire composition and licks part of the stone wall. Rediscovered recently, we have few details on the life of Harmen Loeding. He was born in Leiden around 1637 where he was received as a member of the guild in 1664, and registered for the last time on January 5, 1673. Nothing is known of his artistic training, but he clearly belongs to the circle of artists who were close to Pieter de Ring (Leiden 1615-20 - 1660) with whom his works are so confused, his mastery is so close, the two painters fell in love with Jan Davidsz. from Heem. Although Arnold Houbraken claimed that de Ring had taken lessons from Heem, there is no evidence of this and in 1635 de Heem had in any case left Leiden and settled in Antwerp. De Ring was nevertheless deeply influenced by de Heem and his still life paintings which he produced in Antwerp between 1640 and 1650. Co-founder of the painters guild of Leiden in 1648, de Ring worked there for the rest of his life and can be credited with having initiated a “Heem School” in Leiden, to which he, Harmen Loeding, Nicolaes van Gelder and Jan Mortel belonged. The artists in this circle mainly painted still lifes with fruits and precious objects, characterized by a keen attention to detail, strong colors and theatrical lighting. Our exceptionally well-preserved painting perfectly illustrates the still lifes of Loeding. The vertical format and the pyramidal composition of tight objects is one of the diagrams which he often used. Powerful lighting to create an atmosphere and enhance the illusion of pictorial space is also characteristic. Bright light enters from the left, projecting a subtle play of light onto the uneven surface of the stone wall in the background and improving the three-dimensional quality of the objects. This sense is further reinforced by the judicious positioning of things such as the branch of cherries balanced on the edge of the table and the orange with the rough peel penetrating into the space of the spectator. The artist has made great efforts to demonstrate his mastery in rendering a rich diversity of materials and textures, as well as his ability to capture the light reflected in a variety of objects. The pictorial mastery and the rich palette reveal the artist's debt to Jan Davidsz. from Heem. Obviously, such sumptuous still lifes revealed the wealth and luxury life that was in demand among the wealthy citizens of Leiden. Although it is fashionable today to seek a deeper meaning in 17th century Dutch still lifes, there is no evidence here that Harmen Loeding intended to present us with anything other than elegant and attractive luxury. Reference: the work of Erika Gemar - Koeltzsch, Höllndische Stillbenmaler im 17. jarhundert; Vol 3, p. 606 - 609. - (Luca Verlag Lingen 1995) * Many museums have masterpieces in their collections. * Some notable sales: Monte Carlo Auction House, 04/29/2018 Monte Carlo, Monaco Furniture and Works of Art, Old and XIXth Paintings Lot number 22 Reproduced page 16 of the Bonhams catalog, 12/03/2014 London , United Kingdom Old Master Paintings Lot number 59 Reproduced page 87 of the Lempertz catalog, 12/05/2012 Cologne, Germany OLD MASTERS Lot number 1265 Reproduced page 124 of the Sotheby's catalog, 08/12/2005 London, United Kingdom Old Master Paintings Day Sale Lot number 279 Reproduced page 93 of the Sotheby's catalog, 12/12/2002 London, United Kingdom OLD MASTER PAINTINGS Lot number 156 Reproduced page 163 of the catalog Sold with invoice & certificate of expertise