Joris Van Son - Still-life with peaches, grapes, and lemons, 1659

Opulent 17th century Flemish still life by the celebrated artist Joris Van Son
 
It shows an abundant composition with grapes, blackberries, peaches, corn, cherries, medlars, morning glory, plums and lemons. This wealth of natures gifts is delicately placed to frame the classical sculpture in the center of the composition. This bust depicts a young woman, perhaps a muse and might be a reference to classical antiquity.
 
Joris van Son was born in Antwerp, the son of Joris and Catharina Formenois and was baptized on 24 September 1623 in the Antwerp Cathedral. It is not clear with which artist he trained. His work shows a strong influence of Jan Davidszoon de Heem, a Dutch still life painter who was active in Antwerp from the mid-1630s. This may be an indication that van Son studied with de Heem or was an assistant in de Heem's studio and was very familiar with de Heem's work in his formative years. He became a master in Guild of Saint Luke of Antwerp in the guild year 1643/1644. In 1647, he became a member of the pious bachelor society, de 'Sodaliteit van de Bejaerde Jongmans', a fraternity for bachelors established by the Jesuit order. However, this did not stop him from seeking out for love. On 22 October 1656, van Son married Cornelia van Heulens, the mother of his daughter. Two years later a son, who was named Jan Frans, was born. The last child of the couple, called Maria Chatharina, was baptized on 5 October 1660.
 
Van Son's work was much appreciated by collectors and his paintings were in the collections of artists such as Victor Wolfvoet (of whom we are currently also offering a painting) and traders such as Geraert van Dorth. The pupils of van Son included Frans van Everbroeck, Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger, Cornelis van Huynen, Norbert Montalie and Abraham Herderwijn. His son Jan Frans was only nine when he died and was therefore not trained by Joris. Rather, Jan Frans was a pupil of Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Elder. Jan Frans became a still life painter and worked in England. van Son (c. 1623-1667) was a Flemish still-life painter known for his exquisite floral still-life paintings. He was born in Antwerp and was active as a painter in the mid-17th century. Van Son's work often featured meticulously detailed arrangements of flowers, insects, and small animals, and his paintings are characterized by their vibrant colors and precise attention to detail.
 
His work is highly regarded and can be found in various museums and art collections around the world. Some of the museums and institutions that have his paintings in their collections include: 1. The Louvre Museum in Paris, France. 2. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 3. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, Belgium. 4. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, USA. 5. The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, USA. 6. The National Gallery in London, UK. 7. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, USA. 8. The Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands.
 
Provenance: Distinguished private collection
The painting is signed and dated 1659 in the bottom left corner.
 
Measurements: The canvas measures ca. 72 by 56,5 and with the frame ca. 94 by 76 cms.