(Hamburg 1657–1712 Rotterdam)
A pair of still lifes with peaches and grapes,
both signed lower left,
oil on canvas, each 49 x 37.5 cm, framed, a pair (2)

According to Houbraken, Ernst Stuven was born in Hamburg, where he was initially trained by Georg Hainz. At the age of eighteen he moved to Amsterdam, where he became a pupil of Johannes Voorhout, whom he knew from Hamburg. Being more interested in flower painting, he soon joined the studio of Willem van Aelst, and after spending some time with him switched to Abraham Mignon. His works sold well. He got married and although Houbraken mentions children, no sons are listed as his pupils. In his biography on Elias van den Broeck, Houbraken mentions that he had been Stuven’s first and best pupil. According to the RKD, Herman van der Mijn, J. W. Windtraken, and Willem Grasdorp were among Stuven’s pupils.

Houbraken wrote five pages about the abusive relationship between Willem Grasdorp and Ernst Stuven (1697). When Grasdorp tried to escape, Stuven prevented this, and when Grasdorp’s mother called upon the authorities, Stuven behaved so aggressively that he was sentenced to twelve years in the Rasphuis in Amsterdam. He was allowed out for good conduct after half the time and taken in by Romeyn de Hooghe in Haarlem (circa 1703–5). Stuven later moved to Rotterdam, where he painted for a gentleman named De Beer, who kept him for a ducat per day for room and board, where he later died.