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Lot Essay
Paulus Wast (1721-1784) was born as Paolo Quasti in Bern in 1721. In 1741, he settles in Amsterdam as an aprentice to Frans Primavesi in the Dijkstraat. Circa 1750 Paolo Quasti must have started his own business and around the same time he probably changed his name to Paulus Wast, judging from the signatures he used on his barometers. On 21 November 1758, he placed an advertisement in de Amsterdamsche Courant: Paulus Wast, woond t'Amsterdam op de hoek van de Nes en de Langenbrugsteeg, in 'de Gekroonde Baromeeter', maakt, verkoopt en repareert alle zoorten van Weerglazen, 't zij Baromeeters of Termomeeters, tot allerley gebruiken, als ook tot Broeybakken, alles volgens de accuraatste schaalen; recommandeerde een ieder, zig te wagten voor zulke persoonen, die zig uitgeven voor of van hem te komen, en verzoekt een ieders gunnst. On 8 September 1784 Paulus Wast was burried in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam
It is possible to date the oeuvre of father and son Wast with an accuracy of a few years. Barometers signed Paulus Wast are executed between circa 1745 and 1765. The earliest known barometer signed by both father and son dates from 1765. Barometers signed Paulus Wast en Zoon were made circa 1765 or later.
A virtually identical barometer is in the collection of the Frans Halsmuseum in Haarlem (J.L.H.J.M. van der Ven, 'Paulus Wast: een Meester-Barometermaker (1721-1784)'; Antiek, 16de jrg., no. 7, feb. 1982, pp. 426-435).
It is possible to date the oeuvre of father and son Wast with an accuracy of a few years. Barometers signed Paulus Wast are executed between circa 1745 and 1765. The earliest known barometer signed by both father and son dates from 1765. Barometers signed Paulus Wast en Zoon were made circa 1765 or later.
A virtually identical barometer is in the collection of the Frans Halsmuseum in Haarlem (J.L.H.J.M. van der Ven, 'Paulus Wast: een Meester-Barometermaker (1721-1784)'; Antiek, 16de jrg., no. 7, feb. 1982, pp. 426-435).