Attributed to the Master of the Stirling-Maxwell Collection

(Toledo active circa 1640)
An Allegory of the Four Seasons set in a kitchen interior: fish, stingrays, birds, all hanging from a wooden beam, lobsters, spire and a copper pot with asparagus, leeks and cabbage,
oil on canvas, 111.5 x 170 cm, framed
Provenance:
Private European collection

The precise identity of the Master of the Stirling-Maxwell Collection is unknown at present, however, a series of works have been grouped under this moniker, referring to a work in the collection of the Scottish nobleman and historian of Spanish art, William Stirling-Maxwell (1818–1878).

The composition of this painting is reduced to the various elements which are displayed individually, dramatically illuminated, making them appear to emerge out of the dark background. There are stylistic and compositional elements in this painting which can also be found in the work of the Spanish artist Juan Sánchez Cótan, suggesting that the Master of the Stirling-Maxwell Collection worked in Cótan’s orbit, probably between Madrid and Toledo