In a surprising turn of events, a valuable painting by Clara Peeters has been unearthed from the storage of an Oslo museum. The discovery was made by art historian Cynthia Osiecki, who suspected the unattributed still-life artwork could be the handiwork of the renowned 17th-century Flemish Baroque artist.
Osiecki, who had been researching Peeters’ works, expressed her disbelief at finding a potential masterpiece hidden in plain sight within the museum’s collection. The painting, titled “Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza,” was previously thought to be created by Ambrosius Brueghel but was later categorized as anonymous and stored away.
Through meticulous examination and comparison with Peeters’ known works, Osiecki successfully reattributed the painting to the talented female artist. One of the key identifying factors was Peeters’ habit of incorporating subtle self-portraits into her paintings, asserting her presence in a male-dominated artistic landscape.
The composition of the artwork, featuring dead birds, hazelnuts, apricots, and a distinctive tazza, further reinforced its connection to Peeters’ signature style. Despite challenges like woodworm damage obscuring the artist’s signature, Osiecki’s persistent research efforts paid off, confirming Peeters as the true creator of the painting.
The National Museum of Norway is set to showcase the newfound masterpiece alongside works by other historic female artists in an upcoming exhibition called “Woman Painter.” Nora Ceciliedatter, the museum’s director, highlighted the importance of shedding light on underrepresented artistic voices through such initiatives.
Osiecki emphasized the significance of continuing to uncover and attribute artworks to female artists who have been overlooked or miscredited in art history. The journey of this rediscovered painting serves as a reminder of the ongoing work needed to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women artists throughout history.