Still Life with Cherries
1617
Man-made and natural objects balance in exquisite harmony in this still life of summer fruits and insects. The perfectly ripe cherries, some still on the branch, are vibrant against the crisp decoration and hard surface of the Chinese Wanli porcelain bowl. Two velvety peaches and an apricot share the stage with outdoor creatures—a caterpillar, grasshopper and painted lady butterfly—all safely domesticated by the painter’s sure hand.
Van der Ast was the brother-in-law of still-life painter Ambrosius Bosschaert, whose work is also shown in this gallery.
--Chiyo Ishikawa, Susan Brotman Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture, “European Master: The Treasures of Seattle,” February 14-May 19, 2013
Oil on wood panel
22 x 25 1/2 in. (55.9 x 64.8 cm)
Gift of Theiline Scheumann's children, including Jeff and Korynne Wright, in honor of their mother
2023.4
Provenance: Private collection, Sweden; [Christie’s, London, Anonymous sale (“The Property of a Lady”), Apr. 9, 1990, lot no. 6]; purchased at auction jointly by [Johnny van Haeften, London, England] and [Richard Green, London, England]; sold, via [Johnny van Haeften, London, England] to Phoebe Cowles, San Francisco, California, 1991; sold to Theilene Scheumann (1931-2022), Seattle, Washington, after 2000; Grousemont Foundation, Seattle, Washington, 2022; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2023