Art historian and curator Cynthia Osiecki made a remarkable discovery in 2022 when she stumbled upon an unattributed still-life painting in an Oslo museum storage room. Osiecki, who had been researching the 17th-century Flemish Baroque artist Clara Peeters, suspected the painting might be a lost work by Peeters.
Osiecki expressed astonishment at the possibility of having a Clara Peeters painting in the museum’s possession without prior recognition. She highlighted the lack of recognition faced by female artists like Peeters in history.
The National Museum of Norway is shedding light on historic female artists with the upcoming exhibition “Woman Painter” in Oslo. The exhibit will showcase works by 19 female artists, including Clara Peeters, who worked between 1550 and 1650.
Unveiling the True Artist of the Painting
The painting, titled “Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza,” was initially attributed to Ambrosius Brueghel before being reclassified as anonymous and stored away. Osiecki’s meticulous research and attention to detail led to the painting being officially reattributed to Clara Peeters after several years of investigation.
Peeters was known for incorporating her likeness into objects in her paintings, asserting her professional identity in a male-dominated art world. The Oslo painting features dead birds, hazelnuts, apricots, and distinctive elements characteristic of Peeters’ style.
Despite challenges such as woodworm damage obscuring Peeters’ signature, Osiecki and her team carefully compared the painting with known works by Peeters and her contemporaries, ultimately confirming Peeters as the artist. The painting will be a centerpiece of the upcoming exhibition.
Nora Ceciliedatter, from the National Museum of Norway, emphasized the exhibition’s aim to showcase underrepresented artists and perspectives in art history. Osiecki emphasized the importance of ongoing research to uncover and acknowledge overlooked female artists and their contributions.