Full Record |
| Title |
An Old Vegetable Dealer |
| Collection |
Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle |
| Artist |
Brekelenkam, Quiringh van (Dutch painter, after 1622-1669 or after) |
| Date Earliest |
possibly about 1650 |
| Date Latest |
probably about 1670 |
| Signed |
yes |
| Description |
Market-stalls were a popular subject in mid-seventeenth-century Dutch painting. Quiringh van Brekelenkam painted a number of versions of the theme of the vegetable seller. The formula was created and repeated by other painters working in Leiden, such as Gerrit Dou, under whom Brekelenkam probably trained. In these images, the seller is represented half-length surrounded by foodstuffs which are rendered in detail. Brekelenkam focused on the isolated figure of the woman, avoiding any anecdotal or narrative element. The looser handling and fluent brushwork are characteristic of his early works depicting scenes of everyday life. |
| Current Accession Number |
B.M.221 |
| Former Accession Number |
No. 74 |
| Inscription |
front ll 'Q. B.' |
| Subject |
everyday life (market stall); trade and industry; still life (vegetables) |
| Measurements |
25.5 x 20 cm (estimate) |
| Material |
oil on panel |
| Acquisition Details |
Bequeathed by the founders John and Joséphine Bowes 1885. |
| Provenance |
Purchased by John Bowes possibly in England, 1837, £5. |
| Principal Exhibitions |
Dutch and Flemish Paintings of the 17th Century, Pottery and Porcelain from Northern Collections, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, 1963, cat. no. 38. |
| Publications |
Lasius, A., Quiringh van Brekelenkam, Doornspijk, 1992, cat. no. 38, ill. p. 107. |
| Notes |
A very similar composition, Elderly Woman Seated beside a Table with a Basket of Cherries signed by Brekelenkam, sold at Sotheby's, 6 December 1995. Referring to this type of composition, A. Lasius observed that 'on balance, this group of pictures must be counted among Brekelenkam's weaker works, since they are very simple in composition and often poor in quality'. |
| Rights Owner |
The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham |
| Author |
Dr Mercedes Cerón |
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