Gooseberries on a Table
Adriaen Coorte·1701
Historical Context
Adriaen Coorte's Gooseberries on a Table from 1701 is a characteristic work by this mysterious Dutch painter who specialized in intimate, meditative still lifes of remarkable simplicity. Coorte, about whom almost nothing is known biographically, produced small paintings of fruits and asparagus on dark backgrounds that anticipate modern minimalism. His austere compositions stand apart from the lavish Dutch pronkstilleven tradition.
Technical Analysis
Coorte's oil on paper mounted on wood demonstrates his extraordinary ability to render fruit with precise naturalistic detail against an almost abstract dark background. The intense focus on a few objects illuminated by a single light source creates images of startling visual clarity and meditative power.
Provenance
Auguste Coster [d. 1907], Brussels; (Le Roy, Brussels, Coster sale, April 4-6, 1907, lot 69, possibly sold to Max Massot); Max Massot, Belgium, sold to P. de Boer; (Kunsthandel P. de Boer, Amsterdam, sold to Mrs. Wulf, The Hague)1; Mrs. Wulf, The Hague, exchanged with P. de Boer for a marine painting by J. van Diest; (Kunsthandel P. de Boer, Amsterdam, sold to Johnny Oppenheimer); Johnny Oppenheimer, Tönnersjö, Eldsberga, Sweden, consigned to Charles Roelofsz Gallery, Amsterdam1; (Charles Roelofsz Gallery, Amsterdam); (Sam Nijstad, The Hague, and K. Waterman Gallery, Amsterdam, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
