When Cynthia Osiecki, an art historian and curator, stumbled upon an unidentified still-life painting in a storage room at an Oslo museum in 2022, she had a hunch about its creator. Osiecki, who had been researching Clara Peeters, a pioneering 17th-century Flemish Baroque artist, suspected that the painting might be a lost work by Peeters.
The painting, titled “Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza,” was initially thought to be by Ambrosius Brueghel, a member of a renowned artistic family from Antwerp, Belgium. However, it was later reattributed to Peeters after a meticulous process spanning several years.
Peeters, known for her early specialization in still-life painting, often included subtle self-portraits in her works, asserting her professional identity in a male-dominated art world. The Oslo painting showcased nine dead birds, hazelnuts, apricots, and grapes, which Osiecki found particularly intriguing. She noted the reflection of a person in the grapes, a signature feature in Peeters’ other works.
Despite challenges like woodworm damage obscuring Peeters’ potential signature, Osiecki and her team rigorously compared the Oslo painting with other works by Peeters and her contemporaries to confirm the attribution. The painting will now feature prominently in an exhibition at the National Museum of Norway, highlighting historic female artists such as Peeters.
Osiecki emphasized the importance of recognizing and researching overlooked female artists to uncover their contributions and give them the credit they deserve. The discovery of the painting underscores the ongoing need to shed light on female artists whose works have been undervalued or misattributed over time.
The National Museum of Norway’s “Woman Painter” exhibition aims to elevate the visibility of artistic careers that have been historically marginalized, reflecting a broader effort to promote diverse perspectives in art history. Osiecki emphasized the significance of continued research into female artists to unearth more hidden gems and rectify past oversights.