(Noitel c. 1760–1810 Paris)
Elegant still life of flowers with mushrooms and a bird’s nest,
oil on canvas, 46 x 38 cm, framed

We are grateful to Dr Claudia Salvi for confirming the painting as Prévost’s work. A comprehensive certificate is available.

Jean Louis Prévost was an extremely successful painter of still lifes in Paris during the second half of the 18th century, whose family was already established in this genre. As early as 1776 the Almanach historique et raisonné des architectes, peintres et sculpteurs remarked: “Les Fleurs, les oiseaux, et les fruits des Messieurs Prévost ont attiré tous les yeux et étaient précieusement peint. Encore un peu d’application et ils seront les Van Huysum de France” (Michel and Fabrice Faré: La Vie Silencieuse en France, Fribourg 1976, p. 285)
Both his oil paintings and his watercolours, as well as his bases of engravings, were much appreciated. He exhibited his works in the Paris Salon on a permanent basis. Besides his oil paintings, he is especially known for his Collection des Fleurs et des Fruits, a series of watercolours later transferred on coloured copperplates, which were published as a book in 1805 and are among the most important botanical works in 19th century France. Even in this work, Prévost’s interest was not of scientific nature, unlike his otherwise very similar contemporary Redoutes. In the present painting, too, he pursued above a decorative effect and and elegant composition. Likewise, his Collection des Fleurs et des Fruits was meant to serve primarily as a basis for porcelain painting and fabrics. Prévost’s success is due to his meticulous rendition of nature based on careful observation. This is mainly visible in his flowers, which he arranged in compositions in tune with the refined taste of the Ancien Régime. With regard to this aspect, his works resemble those of the brothers Spaendonck. As Dr Salvi documents in her expertise, this is a characteristic work of the painter. Faré illustrated a whole series of very similar still lifes (cf. Faré: La Vie Silencieuse, p. 285–298)