Two paintings by Rachel Ruysch for Dublin and Boston

3/10/23 - Acquisitions - Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland and Boston, Museum of Fine Arts - Dominated by an elegant tulip, but also embellished with roses and forget-me-nots, the composition (ill. 1) is seductive from the first glance, even if we are also drawn in by the almost incongruous presence of an ear of corn resting on the marble shelf alongside a vase that is barely visible beneath such floral profusion. Although its dimensions do not make it an imposing painting, this shimmering still life is nonetheless monumental, in the purest tradition of the bouquets of flowers that the Dutch painter Rachel Ruysch specialised in. Remained in Amsterdam until the mid-19th century, the painting then joined the Vaxelaire collection before reappearing on the market in autumn 2022 at Artcurial in Paris (see news item of 8/11/22). At the time, its notice alerted buyers to the presence of a "strong old relining" as well as a number of old restorations, which undoubtedly explained the slightly dull appearance of the painting, which remained in its original state but was visibly restored again before being offered on Bob Haboldt’s stand at the last Tefaf in Maastricht. It was there that it was noticed and reserved by the emissaries of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, which has just announced that it has been bought and hung in room 39 of the museum.

1. Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750)
Vase of Flowers with an Ear of Corn, 1742
Oil on canvas - 50.6 × 40.2 cm
Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland
Photo: National Gallery of Ireland

See the image in its page

As pointed out by Lizzie Marx, who was appointed Curator of Flemish and Dutch Collections in November 2022 after working in several European institutions, and who was making her first purchase on this occasion [1], the painter had until now been absent from the picture rails of the Dublin museum, despite being famous for its Vermeer or its two Metsu works. Like all major Western museums, the National…