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Lot Essay
The present painting of 1648 was most probably executed before Luttichuys moved to Amsterdam. The style of this remarkable composition is very different from his early still lifes in the manner of Jan Lievens and the Leiden school. With his masterful way of handling light, Luttichuys creates an illusionism that preludes the work of Willem Kalf.
Simon Luttichuys, born in London in 1610, started painting portraits in a somewhat stiff English style. His portrait of the bishop Thomas Morton of Saint John’s College, Cambridge, completed in 1638, places him still in England. In the same year his younger brother, Isaack Luttichuys (London 1616-1673 Amsterdam), is mentioned as a painter of portraits in Amsterdam. Whether Simon subsequently spent time in England with a Dutch still life painter or continued his education in The Netherlands, is not known. His first still life arrangement is dated 1644. By 1649 Simon moved to Amsterdam and quickly turned to favour banquet and "splendour" still lifes, which, as Ebert has argued, were to be of strong influence on the young Willem Kalf, who is said to have finished one of his paintings (B. Ebert, Simon und Isaac Luttichuys: Monographie mit kritischem Werkverzeichnis, Munich/Berlin, 2009). Despite spending the best part of his career in The Netherlands Simon’s fame continued to be praised in England.
This lot is sold with a copy of a certificate of authenticity by Dr. S.J. Gudlaugsson, The Hague, dated 1967.
Simon Luttichuys, born in London in 1610, started painting portraits in a somewhat stiff English style. His portrait of the bishop Thomas Morton of Saint John’s College, Cambridge, completed in 1638, places him still in England. In the same year his younger brother, Isaack Luttichuys (London 1616-1673 Amsterdam), is mentioned as a painter of portraits in Amsterdam. Whether Simon subsequently spent time in England with a Dutch still life painter or continued his education in The Netherlands, is not known. His first still life arrangement is dated 1644. By 1649 Simon moved to Amsterdam and quickly turned to favour banquet and "splendour" still lifes, which, as Ebert has argued, were to be of strong influence on the young Willem Kalf, who is said to have finished one of his paintings (B. Ebert, Simon und Isaac Luttichuys: Monographie mit kritischem Werkverzeichnis, Munich/Berlin, 2009). Despite spending the best part of his career in The Netherlands Simon’s fame continued to be praised in England.
This lot is sold with a copy of a certificate of authenticity by Dr. S.J. Gudlaugsson, The Hague, dated 1967.