A recently uncovered still-life painting believed to be by Clara Peeters, a renowned 17th-century Flemish Baroque artist, was found tucked away in an Oslo museum’s storage room by art historian and curator Cynthia Osiecki in 2022. Osiecki, who had been researching Peeters’ work, stumbled upon the unattributed piece while searching for acquisitions of women artists like Peeters. The discovery raised the possibility that the museum had unknowingly possessed a Peeters painting all along.
Clara Peeters, despite her significant contributions to art, remains relatively obscure, much like many female artists of her time. To shed light on historic female artists, the National Museum of Norway is preparing to showcase an exhibition titled “Woman Painter,” featuring works by 19 female artists from northern Europe and Italy, including Peeters.
The painting, originally thought to be by Ambrosius Brueghel, a member of a renowned artistic family in Antwerp, Belgium, was eventually reattributed to Peeters after a meticulous process spanning several years. Osiecki’s keen eye and expertise played a crucial role in this reattribution journey.
Peeters was known for incorporating subtle self-portraits in her works, asserting her professional identity in a male-dominated art world. The Oslo painting, titled “Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza,” showcases dead birds, hazelnuts, apricots, and distinctive details characteristic of Peeters’ style. Despite challenges like woodworm damage obscuring Peeters’ signature, Osiecki’s research and comparison of Peeters’ works with those of her contemporaries confirmed her as the artist behind the piece.
The upcoming exhibition on female artists at the National Museum of Norway aims to highlight underrepresented perspectives in art history. Osiecki views the journey of attributing the painting to Peeters as a testament to the ongoing effort needed to recognize and celebrate overlooked female artists and their invaluable contributions to the art world.