Johann Andreas von Düwens - Vanitas with Pallas Athena, Wheat, and Flowers, 1701

Johann Andreas von Düwens (?-1716) Germany

Vanitas with Pallas Athena, Wheat, and Flowers, 1701

signed and dated Jo An von Düwens pinx 1701
oil on wood panel
unframed 56 x 42 cm (22.05 x 16.54 inches)
framed 70 x 54 cm (27.56 x 21.26 inches)

With inscription: ”Wie es wolt Sommer werden. Da müst ich von der Erden / Bringen frucht in gedult”.
With indistinct inscription on the reverse: ”[...] av Nature Morte”.

Condition: 
The painting has recently undergone restoration by a professional art conservator. There are small areas with retouching. The panel itself is slightly warped, and as a result, a custom-made frame has been crafted to accommodate its curved shape. The painting’s colors are vibrant and clear, showcasing the fine detail and original brilliance of the piece.

Provenance: 
A private collection Stockholm; 
Uppsala Auktionskammare, Important Spring Sale 2024, Lot 627,
As by Johann Andreas von Düwens. 

ESSAY:

A Rare and Significant Discovery.

We are pleased to offer this newly discovered vanitas still life by the German artist Johann Andreas von Düwens (?-1716). Titled "Vanitas with Pallas Athena, Wheat, and Flowers" this stunning work, dated and signed by the artist, is one of the few known paintings attributed to Düwens.

The central figure in the composition is a striking statue of Pallas Athena, symbolizing wisdom, warfare, and craftsmanship. The goddess is surrounded by meticulously rendered objects that heighten the vanitas theme—a skull, symbolizing mortality; a sheaf of wheat, representing the cycle of life; and a vivid array of flowers, embodying both beauty and the fleeting nature of existence. Each element is imbued with rich symbolism, reminding viewers of life's transience and the inevitability of death.

An inscription on the column behind Athena reads: "Wie es wolt Sommer werden. Da müst ich von der Erden / Bringen frucht in gedult", roughly translated as, "As summer is about to come, I must leave the earth / Bear fruit with patience," a poetic reflection on the passage of time and human existence. This phrase complements the painting's vanitas theme, invoking both a sense of finality and a call to spiritual mindfulness.

The skillful use of vibrant colors and intricate detailing in the various objects displayed in the foreground—the flowers, the sheaf of wheat, the book, and even the helmet leaning on a shield—exemplifies Düwens' talent for composition and his deep understanding of vanitas symbolism. The painting’s architectural backdrop, an elegant arched wing of a palace, adds a majestic sense of place, creating a juxtaposition between life’s impermanence and the grandeur of human achievement.

Little is known about Johann Andreas von Düwens, who hailed from a renowned artistic family. He was appointed court painter in Zerbst in 1697, where he created numerous large-scale works, including the now-lost murals of Zerbst Castle. His brother Heinrich Duwens is slightly more recognized, but Johann's portable works, like this vanitas still life, are extremely rare, with only a few surviving engravings of portraits known to exist.

This painting is a rare opportunity to own a piece of Baroque art by an elusive artist whose works were once celebrated at court, yet whose legacy was nearly lost to time.