Adriaen De Gryef (leiden 1657 -brussels 1722) Signed, Still Life Of Animals And Fruit

Adriaen de Gryef (Leiden 1657 - Brussels 1722)
Signed ‘A Gryeff f’(ecit) - centre left

Peasant in the courtyard with still life of animals and fruit

Oil on canvas
Dimensions (cm): 45 x 60
In antique frame 74 x 88

Work published in the RDK (Netherlands Institute for Art History) archive: https://rkd.nl/images/6309

A peasant immortalised in the courtyard of his farmhouse, playing a flute while leading the goats back to the farm; around him a rich still life piece with freshly harvested vegetables, some placed on a cart, two pheasants hanging and ready to be cooked and various scattered kitchen objects.

The painting is signed, on a barrel in the lower left-hand corner, by the well-priced Flemish painter Adriaen De Gryeff, active as a picture dealer in Ghent and Antwerp in 1687, a member of the artists' guild in 1699 and then in Brussels, famous for this type of scene related to the Flemish seventeenth-century rural countryside.

The work is published in the RKD archive, together with others by the author, the comparison with which is easy to identify the common features of his production. In fact, there are many works that resemble our composition, although each one is different.

Among them:
- Peasant Woman with a Rooster in Her Hand https://rkd.nl/images/19676 Imm.1
- Farmyard with a peasant woman and a cat in a still life https://rkd.nl/images/3318 Imm.2
- Farm still life with a man smoking a pipe on the left https://rkd.nl/images/19576 Imm.3
- A man and a woman picking a chicken in the farmyard https://rkd.nl/images/19682 Imm.4
- Farmyard with wheelbarrow full of vegetables, pottery and hunting booty https://rkd.nl/images/20055 Imm.5
- Farmyard with maid and donkey https://rkd.nl/images/19712 Imm.6


The subject matter is more typical of de Gryeff, who specialised in small paintings with picturesque subjects often depicting animals in the open air, often set in rural landscapes; the painter shows us here his technical mastery and daring facility in the depiction of animals, but also his skill as a naturamortist.

These works were habitually collected by royalty and aristocrats, who loved to decorate their country houses.

Even today they can be found in many illustrious collections, such as Schloss Schleissheim (Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen), the Kunstmuseum in Basel, the Musée des Beaux Arts in Marseille and the Royal Museums in Brussels. Other good examples in museum collections are Grijef's works in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work sold is completed by a gilt frame showing signs of restoration and comes with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information.

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