Gaspard Pieter Verbruggen I - Flower garlands with roses and butterflies

Pair of large and opulent 17th century Flemish flower garlands by Gaspar Pieter Verbruggen I
 
Our paintings depicts an opulent floral arrangement consisting of, amongst others, roses, tulips and peonies.  Gaspar Peeter Verbruggen the Elder, born in Antwerp in 1635 and passing away in 1681, was a renowned Flemish artist specialized in floral paintings and garland compositions. Baptized in St. James' Church, his father's profession as a gardener likely fueled his passion for depicting flowers. He started as a pupil under Cornelis Mahu, eventually becoming a master of the Guild of Saint Luke. His first marriage to Catharina van Zeverdonck resulted in 11 children, and after her passing, he married Sara Catharina Raeps. Verbruggen's success as an artist is evident from his estate's assets, including multiple houses and valuable possessions. He left a legacy through his pupils and collaborations, particularly in 'garland paintings', a style originating in Antwerp in the 17th century. These paintings typically featured flower or fruit garlands encircling religious or portrait elements, evolving to encompass various subjects like portraits, myths, and allegorical scenes. Our paintings are prime examples of this. His works can be found in several museums and distinguished private collections.
 
Literature on the artist:
*Duverger, Erik, Antwerpse kunstinventarissen uit de zeventiende eeuw (12 vols.), [Fontes historiae artis Neerlandicae / Bronnen voor de kunstgeschiedenis van de Nederlanden 1-12], Brussel: (1984-2002), volume 10: 469-471 & volume 11: 150-152 *Van Hemeldonck, Godelieve, Kunst en kunstenaars, s.p.: s.n. (2007), (typoscript Felixarchief te Antwerpen), S-1921 *Groenendijk, Pieter, Beknopt biografisch lexicon van Zuid- en Noord-Nederlandse schilders, graveurs, glasschilders, tapijtwevers et cetera van ca. 1350 tot ca. 1720, Leiden: Primavera (2008) *Thieme, Ulrich & Becker, Felix, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, Band 34, Leipzig: Engelmann (1940) *Hairs, Marie-Louise, Die beiden Verbruggen: Monographie, Wien: Pallamar (1975) *De Maere, J. & Webbes, M., Martin, Jennifer A. (ed.) Illustrated dictionary of 17th century Flemish painters (3 vols.), Brussels: La Renaissance du Livre (1994) *Van der Willigen, Adriaan & Meijer, Fred G., A dictionary of Dutch and Flemish still-life painters working in oils, 1525-1725, Leiden: Primavera Press (2003)
 
Provenance: French private collection
 
The right painting is signed in the middle.
 
Measurements: Each canvas measures ca. 88 by 69 and with frame ca. 108 by 89cms