Balthasar Van der Ast (c.1593-1657) is considered by many to be one of the most important Dutch still-life painters of the 17th century.
His Still Life with Fruit on a Delft Plate, Seashells, Insects, Flowers in a Wanli Vase and Two Parrots (above), a 2ft 6in x 3ft 6in (77cm x 1.07m) signed panel, is one of the highlights at Koller’s sale on March 31 in Zurich.
Large format paintings of this calibre were designed to show off the artist’s abilities and in some sense presented a catalogue of the subjects he could paint on commission. It reflects the fashion of the time with a fascination for things exotic, fuelled by the activities of the Dutch East India Company.