Lot n° 176
Estimation :
12000 - 15000
EUR
MAÎTRE P. S. (actif aux Pays-Bas du Sud vers 1660)
Trompe-l'oeil with curtain, pocket watch, bottle and letters in a window frame
Canvas. Traces of signature in the lower right-hand corner. Dated upper left on letter 166.
55 x 82 cm
Our painting is the second known example that can be given to the Master P. S. An inscription in the lower right-hand corner of one of the letters suggests that this artist worked in The Hague or Breda.
In the middle of the 17th century, trompe-l'oeil became a genre in its own right in the Netherlands and Flanders, before spreading throughout Europe. It became a game between the painter and the viewer.
The curtain on the right side of the painting is not only an element of the decor, but also reinforces the trompe-l'oeil effect. Like the compositions of Cornelis Norbertus Gysbrechts, it refers to the story of Zeuxis and Parrhasios reported by Pliny the Elder in the first century A.D. Zeuxis and Parrhasios, two of the most famous painters of Athens in the fourth century B.C., compete against each other in a competition. Zeuxis thinks he has won when a bird tries to peck at the grapes he has painted. To protect his work, he tries to cover it with a curtain and realizes that it was painted by Parrhasios. Zeuxis then understands that he has lost. He managed to lure the birds, but his rival cheated him.
We thank Mr. Fred Meyer for his help in the attribution of this painting.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue