Art historian and curator Cynthia Osiecki made a remarkable find in a museum storeroom in Oslo in 2022. While searching for a Clara Peeters painting, Osiecki stumbled upon an unattributed still-life piece that caught her attention.
Oseicki, who had been researching the pioneering Flemish Baroque artist Clara Peeters, suspected that the painting she found might be a long-lost work by Peeters.
Despite Clara Peeters’ significant contributions to art, she remains relatively obscure, much like many other female artists of her time, according to Osiecki.
The National Museum of Norway is shedding light on historic female artists with the upcoming exhibition “Woman Painter” in Oslo, featuring works by 19 female artists from northern Europe and Italy between 1550 and 1650, including Judith Leyster, Lavinia Fontana, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Clara Peeters.
Uncovering the True Artist Behind the Painting
The painting discovered by Osiecki, named Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza, was initially believed to be the work of Ambrosius Brueghel before being reclassified as “anonymous” and stored away.
After years of meticulous research, Osiecki was able to officially attribute the painting to Clara Peeters, thanks to distinctive elements in the artwork.
Clara Peeters was known for incorporating subtle self-portraits into her works, asserting her professional identity in a male-dominated art world. The Oslo painting showcased nine dead birds, hazelnuts, apricots, and grapes, which played a crucial role in confirming Peeters as the painter.
Despite challenges like woodworm damage obscuring Peeters’ signature, Osiecki’s dedication to thorough analysis and comparison with other works by Peeters and her contemporaries led to the successful attribution of the painting.
The painting is now set to be a highlight of the upcoming exhibition in Oslo on Oct. 8.
Nora Ceciliedatter, director of collections and exhibitions at the National Museum of Norway, emphasized the importance of showcasing underrepresented artists like Clara Peeters in the museum’s efforts to diversify artistic perspectives.
Osiecki highlighted the ongoing need to uncover and recognize female artists whose works have been overlooked or misattributed, stressing the significance of dedicated research in bringing their contributions to light.
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