Live Auction 29281TDCR-492 With 202 lot
Christie’s roundel
Lot 197 Property from a Belgian Private collection

After Jan van Kessel I

Spiders, snakes and caterpillars entwined to spell the artist's name

Closed31 August 2025

Estimate

GBP 20,000–30,000

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After Jan van Kessel I
Spiders, snakes and caterpillars entwined to spell the artist's name
with signature 'JoAn vAn / Kessel' (centre)
oil on panel
5 ½ x 7 ½ in. (14 x 19 cm.)

with Gebr. Douwes, Amsterdam, c. 1925.
with Goudstikker, Amsterdam, 1926, cat. no. 80, ill., until 1933 with 16 others in one frame
with Kunsthandel de Boer, Amsterdam, 1934-5 (a set of seventeen, framed separately).
Anonymous Sale; Christie's, London, 27 June 1975, lot 65, ill. (only this panel).

Specialist note

This work is after Jan van Kessel's prototype of 1657, sold at Sotheby's, London, 3 December 2014, lot 36.

Jan van Kessel’s close observations of the natural world typified the spirit of the Scientific Revolution, a period that witnessed the transformation of society’s conception of nature. His beautifully intricate cabinet paintings were always highly prized for their inventive, whimsical and hyper-realistic qualities. This excellent copy of van Kessel’s prototype is demonstrative of the continued interest in his work into the Age of Enlightenment, when similar value was placed on scientific precision.