“Lost Clara Peeters Painting Found in Museum Storage”

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As It Happens6:42Clara Peeters Painting Uncovered in Museum Storage

During a routine inspection in 2022, art historian Cynthia Osiecki made a remarkable discovery in an Oslo museum’s storage room. An unattributed still-life painting caught her eye, leading her to suspect it might be the work of Clara Peeters, a prominent 17th-century Flemish Baroque artist.

Osiecki’s pursuit of a Clara Peeters painting aligned with the museum’s objective of acquiring works by female artists. The revelation of the potential Peeters piece already in the museum’s possession was a serendipitous turn of events.

Despite Peeters’ significant contributions to art history, she remains relatively obscure to the general public, a common fate for many female artists of her era, according to Osiecki.

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The National Museum of Norway aims to highlight historic female artists through the upcoming exhibition, “Woman Painter,” scheduled to open in Oslo on Oct. 8. The showcase will feature works by 19 female artists active in northern Europe and Italy between 1550 and 1650, including Peeters alongside other notable figures like Judith Leyster and Artemisia Gentileschi.

Thorough Process to Attribute the Painting

The painting, titled Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza, was initially misattributed to Ambrosius Brueghel before being reclassified as anonymous and stored away. Osiecki’s meticulous journey to reattribute the piece to Peeters spanned several years and involved close examination and comparison of Peeters’ distinctive artistic traits.

Peeters, known for her intricate still-life compositions, often embedded subtle self-portraits within her works to assert her identity in a male-dominated art world. The Oslo painting, featuring dead birds, hazelnuts, and apricots, presented key elements that aligned with Peeters’ style.

Osiecki’s in-depth analysis revealed distinct characteristics in the painting, such as the portrayal of grapes and the presence of a tazza, consistent with Peeters’ recurrent motifs. Despite challenges like woodworm damage obscuring Peeters’ signature, the collective efforts of Osiecki and museum conservators confirmed Peeters as the true artist behind the piece.

The painting’s upcoming prominence in the Oct. 8 exhibition signifies a significant milestone in recognizing overlooked female artists in art history.

Nora Ceciliedatter, director of collections and exhibitions at the National Museum of Norway, emphasized the importance of shedding light on underrepresented artistic legacies, reflecting a broader initiative to diversify historical narratives within museum spaces.

Osiecki’s dedication to unveiling overlooked female artists like Peeters underscores the ongoing need to reevaluate art historical attributions and ensure equitable recognition for women artists.