Roelof Koets I

(Haarlem 1592/93–1655)
Cheeses on a pewter plate, black and white grapes in a basket, apples in a porcelain Chinese bowl, bread rolls and a knife, all on a draped table,
oil on panel, 48 x 80 cm, framed
Provenance:
art market, Germany, 2005 (as Circle of Floris Claesz. van Dijck);
where acquired by the present owner

We are grateful to Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution on the basis of a photograph.

The present painting exemplifies the early development of the Haarlem school of still life painters, which was refined by its leading artist, Floris van Dijck. The triangular-shaped composition is dominated by two centrally placed Dutch cheeses on a pewter plate, surrounded by a Chinese bowl of apples and a finely woven basket of grapes and vines. Nuts and breads are casually scattered throughout, a Chinese porcelain bowl holding butter curls is placed on the far right and a glimpse of a glass of beer is visible in the background.

The work offered here appears to be a new addition to the relatively small body of work by Koets, who seems to have operated within the immediate circle of Floris van Dijck. Koets’ early works in particular, resonate with the compositions of van Dijck. The present work shows similarities with Van Dijck’s Still Life with Fruits, Nuts and Cheese, dated 1613 and conserved in the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem (inv. no. os I-76). The spectacular effect of a white damask tablecloth with fine-laced border, contrasting against the red under-tablecloth, in Van Dijck’s panel, must have inspired Koets. It is, therefore, not surprising that the present panel was offered nearly two decades ago as the creation of an artist within the circle of Floris van Dijck, which Koets technically was. The artist’s later work focusses more on the representation of grapes and vine leaves, for which Koets gained recognition and developed into his trademark. In collaborations with other Haarlem still life painters such as Pieter Claesz and Jan van de Velde III, it was Koets who depicted these elegant fruits.

The present painting bears similarities to a signed and dated panel by the artist which was sold at Christie’s in 2016 (see sale, Christie’s, Amsterdam, 24–25 May 2016, lot 100). The resemblances between the present work and the Christie’s panel are striking. Note the similar high point of view and the way in which the knife and pewter plate are positioned on the edge of the table, a favoured and playful detail among early still life painters creating an illusion of depth. One of the main differences between the Christie’s work and the present painting is the grey and soft ochre background versus the darkened space in which the Christie’s still life is set. The development of brightening up the background within the genre was skilfully refined by Pieter Claesz, who created arrangements of objects in monochrome colours. Taking this development into account, the soft toned setting could indicate the present painting was made after the Christie’s panel, however an exact date remains uncertain.