(Antwerp 1618–1675)
A still life with lemons, grapes, a pipe and filleted fish,
signed at lower left: J. P. Gillemans,
oil on canvas, 36.2 x 48.3 cm, framed

Provenance:
According to a paper label on the reverse side of the painting, the present picture was once in the collection of the Dukes of Arenberg.

The still life painter Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Elder joined the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp in 1647/48. He was known for his large still lifes of flowers and fruit painted in the manner of the De Heem. However, comparatively few small still lifes of fruit by Gillemans, which were popular among contemporary collectors as cabinet pieces, have survived. A notarial deed of 31 May 1686 mentions “twee stucxkens van Gillemans boven de deure, d’een fruyten...” (cf. J. Denucé, De Antwerpsche Konstkamers, s’ Gravenhage, 1932, p. 342).

The present work, which is signed, illustrates Gillemans preferred narrow views when using small formats, in which the focus is on meticulously described objects. A comparable example featuring lemons, a pipe, and seafood was offered by the Alfred Brod Gallery in London (see ill.).

additional picture:
Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Elder, London, Brod Gallery