Lot Essay
Formerly attributed to Bartolomeus Assteyn whose early style was strongly influenced by the Bosschaert family, this picture has recently been recognised by Fred Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, as the work of Ambrosius Bosschaert the Younger. Meijer, on inspection of the picture in the original has suggested a date in the 1630s, when the artist was active in Utrecht. He moved there in 1628 and evolved a style founded on the tuition he received from his father, Ambrosius, and the art of his uncle, Bartolomeus van der Ast, whose influence can be felt strongly in this painting.