Born in the Hague in 1782 and son of the noted Dutch still life painter Jan van Os, Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os is recorded as having been employed by the Sèvres factory en extraordinaire (i.e. on commission without being a permanent member of the staff) from 1811-1815 and from 1820-1822. Not surprisingly, he followed in the footsteps of his father, specializing in flower painting similar in style to the present example. The factory records list him as working exclusively on déjeuners à plateau ovales, with no trace of his having worked on plaques.

It is likely that the present lot, painted on a piece of Sèvres porcelain easily purchased white from the factory, was not commissioned for its production. The five iron-red marks are authentic, but the factory would never have put so many stencils on the back of one plaque. It is probable that van Os gained access to a pre-inked set of marks and placed them on the back of his work himself.

Our thanks to Mme. Tamara Préaud for her assistance in researching the provenance of this piece.