MOREELSE, JOHANNES (c. 1603 Utrecht 1634) An alchemist. Oil on canvas. 90.5 x 107.5 cm. Provenance: - Robilant & Voena, London, 2007. - European Private collection. Exhibition: TEFAF, Maastricht, 2007. Rendered with supreme artistic skill, an alchemist is presented in his study chamber with a book in Hebrew script open before him on the table. Holding a bellows, he is about to stoke the fire in a small oven, upon which a downwardly directed glass flask transfers a transparent liquid into a second standing flask. On the otherwise barren back wall is a wooden shelf with vessels. Cascading light from the top left accentuates the room, modelling the forehead and the bare shoulder of the scholar, wrapped in a reddish-brown cloak. Albert Blankert notes the unmistakable influence of the Utrecht Caravaggist Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651) in this painting. He particularly highlights Bloemaert's creative period of the 1620s, which was mainly influenced by the Caravaggesque chiaroscuro-inspired candlestick paintings of his former pupil Gerrit van Honthorst (1590-1656) (see Nicolson, Benedict: Caravaggism in Europe, 2nd edition by Luisa Vertova, Milan 1989, vol. 3, ill. 1097-1104 and Roethlisberger, Marcel: Abraham Bloemaert and his sons, Doornspijk 1993, vol. 2, ill. 417-419). It is clear to Blankert that only one of the most accomplished students could have painted this outstanding presentation and he names Johannes Moreelse as his favourite. For Wayne Franits there is also no doubt that this work is by Moreelse. Unfortunately, little is known about the small oeuvre and artistic personality of Johannes Moreelse. The works that have been thus far assigned to him are distinguished by their outstanding quality and have been compiled by Benedict Nicolson (ibid, nos 1199-1206). Two fully-signed paintings depicting Democritus and Heraclitus have survived and can be found today in the Centraal Museum, Utrecht (inv. nos 13824 and 13825). The Democritus in particular shows a comparable placement of the protagonist in the room and a similar still-life arrangement on a shelf on the wall. Johannes Moreelse’s date of birth is unknown. However, the wedding of his parents in June 1602 suggests that he probably saw the light of day in close proximity. His father was the respected portrait painter Paulus Moreelse (1571-1638), who is said to have been his first teacher. After his apprenticeship, Moreelse travelled to Italy, where he signed a record in Rome on 27 February 1627 as a witness on behalf of the Utrecht nobleman Joannes Honorius van Axel de Seny. Additional witnesses were the two Utrecht painters, Hendrick Bloemaert (1601/02-1672) and Thomas Knijff, who were presumably his travelling companions. Moreelse also joined the papal knight Order of Saint Peter in Rome. Back in Utrecht, he is said to have continued working in his father's workshop before he died in December 1634 during a plague epidemic. --------------- MOREELSE, JOHANNES (um 1603 Utrecht 1634) Ein Alchemist. Öl auf Leinwand. 90,5 x 107,5 cm. Provenienz: - Kunsthandel Robilant & Voena, London, 2007. - Europäische Privatsammlung. Ausstellung: TEFAF, Maastricht, 2007. Von höchster malerischer Qualität wird uns ein Alchemist in seiner Studierkammer präsentiert, vor ihm auf dem Tisch ein aufgeschlagenes Buch in hebräischer Schrift. Mit einem Blasebalge ist er dabei einen kleinen Ofen auf dem Tisch anzufeuern, auf dem ein nach unten gerichteter Glaskolben eine durchsichtige Flüssigkeit in einen zweiten stehenden Kolben überführt. An der sonst kargen Rückwand findet sich ein Holzregal mit Gefässen. Hereinfallendes Licht von oben links akzentuiert den Raum und modelliert die Stirn sowie die entblösste Schulter des Gelehrten, der in einen rotbraunen Mantel gehüllt ist. Albert Blankert bemerkt bei diesem Gemälde den unverkennbaren Einfluss des Utrechter Caravaggisten Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651). Dabei stellt er insbesondere Bloemaerts Schaffensphase der 1620er Jahre heraus, die vor allem von den an Caravaggios Chiaroscuro angelehnten Kerzenscheindarstellungen seines früheren Schülers Gerrit van Honthorst (1590-1656) geprägt ist (siehe Nicolson, Benedict: Caravaggism in Europe, 2. Auflage von Luisa Vertova, Mailand 1989, Bd. 3, Abb. 1097-1104 und Roethlisberger, Marcel: Abraham Bloemaert and his sons, Doornspijk 1993, Bd. 2, Abb. 417-419). Für Blankert steht fest, dass nur einer der versiertesten Schüler diese herausragende Darstellung gemalt haben kann und nennt als Favorit Johannes Moreelse. Auch Prof. Wayne E. Franits besteht kein Zweifel, dass diese Arbeit von Moreelse gefertigt wurde. Leider ist nur wenig über das kleine Oeuvre und die Künstlerpersönlichkeit Johannes Moreelse bekannt. Die ihm bislang zugewiesenen Arbeiten bestechen durch ihre herausragende Qualität und wurden von Benedict Nicolson zusammengetragen (ebd., Nr. 1199-1206). Zwei vollsignierte Gemälde mit der Darstellung des Demokrit und des Heraklit sind überliefert und finden sich heute im Centraal Museum, Utrecht (Inv. Nr. 13824 und 13825). Besonders der Demokrit zeigt eine vergleichbare Platzierung des Protagonisten im Raum und ein ähnliches Stilllebenarrangement auf dem Regal an der Wand. Wann Johannes Moreelse geboren wurde, ist nicht bekannt. Allerdings lässt der Hochzeitstag seiner Eltern im Juni 1602 vermuten, dass er wohl in zeitlicher Nähe das Licht der Welt erblickt hatte. Sein Vater war der angesehene Porträtmaler Paulus Moreelse (1571-1638), der sein erster Lehrmeister gewesen sein soll. Im Anschluss an seine Lehrzeit reiste Moreelse nach Italien, was mit einer Akte, die Moreelse am 27. Februar 1627 als Zeuge in Rom unterschrieb, belegt werden kann. Weitere Zeugen, die zugunsten des Utrechter Edelmannes Joannes Honorius van Axel de Seny unterzeichneten, waren die beiden Utrechter Maler Hendrick Bloemaert (1601/02-1672) und Thomas Knijff, die vermutlich Moreelses Reisegefährten waren. Auch trat Moreelse in Rom dem päpstlichen Ritterorden von St. Peter bei. Zurück in Utrecht dürfte er in der Werkstatt des Vaters weiter tätig gewesen sein, bevor er im Dezember 1634 während einer Pestepidemie ledig verstarb. MOREELSE, JOHANNES (around 1603 Utrecht 1634) Oil on canvas. 90,5 x 107,5 cm. Provenance: - Robilant & Voena, London, 2007. - European Private collection. Exhibition: TEFAF, Maastricht, 2007. Rendered with supreme artistic skill, an alchemist is presented in his study chamber with a book in Hebrew script open before him on the table. Holding a bellows, he is about to stoke the fire in a small oven, upon which a downwardly directed glass flask transfers a transparent liquid into a second standing flask. On the otherwise barren back wall is a wooden shelf with vessels. Cascading light from the top left accentuates the room, modelling the forehead and the bare shoulder of the scholar, wrapped in a reddish-brown cloak. Albert Blankert notes the unmistakable influence of the Utrecht Caravaggist Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651) in this painting. He particularly highlights Bloemaert's creative period of the 1620s, which was mainly influenced by the Caravaggesque chiaroscuro-inspired candlestick paintings of his former pupil Gerrit van Honthorst (1590-1656) (see Nicolson, Benedict: Caravaggism in Europe, 2nd edition by Luisa Vertova, Milan 1989, vol. 3, ill. 1097-1104 and Roethlisberger, Marcel: Abraham Bloemaert and his sons, Doornspijk 1993, vol. 2, ill. 417-419). It is clear to Blankert that only one of the most accomplished students could have painted this outstanding presentation and he names Johannes Moreelse as his favourite. For Wayne Franits there is also no doubt that this work is by Moreelse. Unfortunately, little is known about the small oeuvre and artistic personality of Johannes Moreelse. The works that have been thus far assigned to him are distinguished by their outstanding quality and have been compiled by Benedict Nicolson (ibid, nos 1199-1206). Two fully-signed paintings depicting Democritus and Heraclitus have survived and can be found today in the Centraal Museum, Utrecht (Inv. nos 13824 and 13825). The Democritus in particular shows a comparable placement of the protagonist in the room and a similar still-life arrangement on a shelf on the wall. Johannes Moreelse’s date of birth is unknown. However, the wedding of his parents in June 1602 suggests that he probably saw the light of day in close proximity. His father was the respected portrait painter Paulus Moreelse (1571-1638), who is said to have been his first teacher. After his apprenticeship Moreelse travelled to Italy, where he signed a record in Rome on 27 February 1627 as a witness on behalf of the Utrecht nobleman Joannes Honorius van Axel de Seny. Additional witnesses were the two Utrecht painters, Hendrick Bloemaert (1601/02-1672) and Thomas Knijff, who were presumably his travelling companions. Moreelse also joined the papal knight Order of Saint Peter in Rome. Back in Utrecht, he is said to have continued working in his father's workshop before he died in December 1634 during a plague epidemic.