Still Life with Nautilus Cup

Dated to 1667, this oil painting's early ownership is uncertain, though it may have belonged to G.L.M. van Es of Wassenaar before entering the collection of Colonel Towers. By the mid-20th century, the work was held by Leonard Koetser in London, who sold it to Edward Speelman in 1946. Conflicting records indicate Speelman transferred the piece to Kunsthandel P. de Boer in Amsterdam either in 1950 or 1958.

The gallery subsequently sold it to W. Reineke of Amersfoort in 1958, only to repurchase it in 1968 alongside a half-share acquired by Newhouse, London. On January 21, 1969, Newhouse sold the canvas to Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Smith of Washington, D.C., who donated it to the National Gallery of Art in 1974.

Still Life with Nautilus Cup is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having entered the institution as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Smith in 1974. The Smiths acquired the work on January 21, 1969, from Newhouse in London. Prior to this, the painting passed through several dealers, including Edward Speelman and Kunsthandel P. de Boer in Amsterdam, with transaction dates recorded variably as 1950 or 1958.

Earlier provenance suggests ownership by Colonel Towers and possibly G.L.M. van Es. While the work was included in a 1950 exhibition organized by P. de Boer, specific records of other public exhibitions are not detailed in the available documentation.

The work is recognized as a Dutch Golden Age still‑life that exemplifies the luminous realism associated with Willem Kalf, though it is attributed to an anonymous follower. Scholars trace its provenance through a series of sales documented from the 1940s to 1969, culminating in a 1974 donation to the National Gallery of Art, and they note that its attribution has been discussed in Grisebach’s monograph on Kalf. The painting’s composition, featuring a nautilus cup, reflects the period’s fascination with exotic objects, positioning it within broader debates on authorship and influence in 17th‑century Dutch art.

Still Life with Nautilus Cup is an oil on canvas painting that features an elaborate nautilus shell cup as its central element. This luxurious object is positioned on a dark table alongside a lemon and a glass, all illuminated by a focused light source. The artwork exemplifies the still life genre, demonstrating the artist's proficiency in rendering varied textures and light, while also reflecting the cultural significance of exotic and finely crafted items during its period of creation.