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Lot Essay
Henstenburgh was one of three still-life and natural history artists from Hoorn who, besides their artistic careers, were also active as pastry cooks. In both crafts he was trained by Johannes Bronkhorst and Henstenburgh in turn trained his son, Anton, in similar fashion. According to his biographer Johan van Gool, the artist started his career by producing natural history and landscape drawings before broadening his repertoire around 1695 into still-lifes with fruits, flowers and occasionally vanitas symbols (De nieuwe schouburg der Nederlandsche kunstschilders en schilderessen […], The Hague 1750-51, I, pp. 246-256). Van Gool claimed that the artist had invented a new type of watercolor applied to a specific type of thin vellum. The present work has retained its rich and vibrant colors.
Although the majority of Henstenburgh’s works are natural history compositions, the artist's still-lifes are among his most successful and original inventions. A small group of these incorporate vanitas symbols such as skulls, candles and, as is the case here, monkeys (see for other examples Sotheby’s, Amsterdam, 2 November 2004, lot 176; Saam and Lily Nijstad; Sotheby’s, Amsterdam, 19 May 2004, lot 199; and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 2003.30). While the skull and candle are obvious symbols for the fleetingness of human life, the meaning of the monkey in this work is less apparent. It might be a reference to the artist’s skill, which was seen at the time as imitative. Besides this, monkeys were often shown in other human activities, such as drinking, dancing or playing musical instruments, showing the folly and pretentiousness of man, and it might be that the monkey in the present sheet should be understood in this light.
Although the majority of Henstenburgh’s works are natural history compositions, the artist's still-lifes are among his most successful and original inventions. A small group of these incorporate vanitas symbols such as skulls, candles and, as is the case here, monkeys (see for other examples Sotheby’s, Amsterdam, 2 November 2004, lot 176; Saam and Lily Nijstad; Sotheby’s, Amsterdam, 19 May 2004, lot 199; and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 2003.30). While the skull and candle are obvious symbols for the fleetingness of human life, the meaning of the monkey in this work is less apparent. It might be a reference to the artist’s skill, which was seen at the time as imitative. Besides this, monkeys were often shown in other human activities, such as drinking, dancing or playing musical instruments, showing the folly and pretentiousness of man, and it might be that the monkey in the present sheet should be understood in this light.