Roses, Tulips, Primulas, Hyacinths and other Flowers in a Vase with Butterflies on a marble Ledge

Published by Blankert, this is the only extant, signed still life painting by this amateur artist, who, from 1695, was sheriff and notary at Bodegraven. According to Houbraken (De Groot Schonburgh der Nederlandsche Kunstschilders etc., III, Amsterdam, 1721, p. 62) he was taught by Jacob Weyerman, whose signed painting at the Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, is very similar. Blankert (op. cit., pp. 242-3, note 8) published records of signed paintings by van Beke in sales in Amsterdam and Leyden in 1760 and 1764 respectively. Another picture by the artist, a mythological scene, signed in an identical manner and dated 1707, was in a sale at Foster's, London, 16 December 1936, lot 115.

We are grateful to Mr. Fred Meijer for his assistance in the cataloguing of this picture.