This early 18th-century still life painting attributed to Franz Werner von Tamm (1658-1724) depicts two pigeons and two guinea pigs among foliage in a forest setting. Von Tamm was an internationally-renowned German painter who worked predominantly in Rome and Vienna.
Exquisitely rendered, this lifelike ensemble of creatures are typical of the artist’s attention to minutiae. Each feather has been handled with aplomb, while our furry friends in the bottom right are practically emerging from the canvas. The guinea pigs are almost identical to those in his “Flower Piece with Guinea Pigs” at the Statens Museum for Kunst. A further comparable example was sold through Christie’s in 2004.
Born in Hamburg, von Tamm first trained locally under the guidance of Dietriech von Sosten and Johann Joachim Pfeiffer, initially focusing on history painting. But, drawn by the allure of Italy, at 27, he moved to Rome to further his education.
Travelling to Italy during the late 17th century was a complex endeavour involving a perilous journey of over 800 miles by carriage. Often funded by the artists’ parents, it was extraordinarily expensive and fraught with danger. Not only were the plucky adventurers the target of various nomadic miscreants, they also had to tackle the ferocity of the Alps. Some never made it, others never returned.
Today, one might compare these lengthy trips to enrolling at University - whereby the learning was paramount but the activities not entirely salubrious. For those leaving their hometown for the first time, it was the Baroque equivalent of a booze cruise. Such was the level of debauchery that the Dutch, German and Flemish artistic contingent in Rome became notorious for their antics. Dubbed collectively as the Bentvueghels (‘Birds of a Feather’), their meetings often descended into frantic drinking bouts and bizarre initiation rituals - often concluding with a march to the church of Santa Costanza (the ‘Temple of Bacchus’).
However, despite this, there was still much to be gained from studying the rich tapestry of Renaissance masters and indeed the environment itself. Collectors across Europe favoured those with Italian experience and still lifes were highly sought after. In the words of the influential writer, Arnold Houbraken, the 17th-century “had no esteem for artists unless they had seen Rome”.
Von Tamm settled in Rome between 1685 and 1695 where he became enchanted with the works of Carlo Maratta (1625-1713). Maratta was equally enamoured and collaborated with him on numerous pieces. Via this collaboration, Von Tamm gained access to wealthy Roman families, while also attracting the attention of aristocrats in Germany, England, France, and Spain. Aside from still lifes, his specialisms included statues, vases, and fruit bowls (of which there's an example in the Prado Museum).
His raison d'être was setting still lifes, such as flora, fruit and various animals (alive or otherwise), into an Italianate landscape - each element rendered with exquisite detail. By doing so, he blended the precise style of 17th-century Dutch still lifes with the romantic ideologies of his Italian peers.
In around 1695, his growing reputation led to his appointment as a court painter to the Imperial Court in Vienna, where he remained until his death. He also worked for Prince Joann Adam Andreas von Liechtenstein.
Lione Pascoli, his biographer, described how he “painted with spirit, resolution and speed” and celebrated his ability to “represent the truth in its naked and simple form”.
He’s represented at the Statens Museum for Kunst, The Walters Art Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum, and Cannon Hall Museum.
Held in a later frame.
Learn more about Franz Werner von Tamm in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 23” x 30” / 59cm x 76cm
Year of creation: c. 1715
Provenance: Anonymous sale, Landshut, Kunst & Auktionshaus Ruef, 9 November 2000, lot 1258 (as Franz Werner von Tamm), for 15,000 Deutsche Marks / Offered in Vienna, Austria, as by Franz Werner von Tamm with an estimate of €14,000 - €16,000 / Collection of Rolf & Margit Weinberg (from 2014) / Private collection.
Condition: Cleaned. Canvas relined. One faint stretcher mark. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £130,331 for ‘Chiens/Trophées de Chasse’, Oil on canvas (2), Couturier-De Nicolaÿ, Dessins Et Tableaux Anciens - Meubles Et Objets D'art - Tapis - Tapisserie, Paris, France, 27 March 1991 (lot 69).
Our reference: BRV2171
