ADRIAEN DE GRYEF

(1657 / 1715)

ADRIAEN DE GRYEF Leiden, Netherlands (1657) / Brussels, Belgium (1715) "Allegory of the creation of man"

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. Provenance: - Christie's, London, auction of November 26, 1965; - Samuel “Saam” Nijstad Collection (since 1966); - Christie's, London, auction of June 27, 1975; Madrid, Galeria Gonzalo Zazo (since 1975); Private collection. Bibliography: - Benezit, E., Dictionaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs, 1911-1923, VI, pp. 505-506. Adriaen de Gryef was an art dealer in Ghent, where he was registered with the Guild of San Luke from 1687. In Antwerp, he married a daughter of Jan van Goyen and was registered with the painters' guild in 1700. His great specialty was still life and hunting scenes, in which the influence of masters of this genre, such as Jan Fyt and Frans Snyders, is evident. In all of these works, the painter displays his mastery in the representation of animals, often showing them restless or in a fighting stance, alongside a great variety of fruits that stand out for their meticulous detail, amidst beautiful landscapes bathed in twilight. The painting shown here exhibits all the typical characteristics of his works, but it stands out within his oeuvre for its large format and bold composition, as does its companion piece (lot 607). In it, we find a diversity of animal species, birds in this case, such as a peacock, pigeons, some ducks, and a group of roosters, hens, and chicks. As in other works by the artist, the animals' agitation is embodied in the cockfight, with a symbolic interpretation alluding to the very condition of humankind in its squabbles, fights, and thirst for power. The canvas is therefore interpreted as an allegory of human creation. The gathered fruits represent humankind's dominion over nature and the plant kingdom, as do the birds depicted, which symbolize its control over the animal kingdom, since they are all domesticated farm animals. The architectural elements in the background allude to humankind's power to modify nature and the landscape with its constructions. Measurements: 260 x 198 cm.