In a surprising discovery, a painting by Clara Peeters was found in a museum’s storage room, hidden in plain sight. Art historian Cynthia Osiecki stumbled upon the unattributed still-life painting in an Oslo museum in 2022. Osiecki, who had been researching the works of the 17th-century Flemish Baroque artist Clara Peeters, suspected that the painting could be a lost piece by Peeters.
Despite her significant contributions, Clara Peeters remains relatively unknown to the public, much like many female artists of her time. To shed light on historic female artists, the National Museum of Norway is hosting an exhibition called “Woman Painter,” featuring works by 19 female artists from northern Europe and Italy, including Peeters.
The painting, titled “Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza,” was initially thought to be by Ambrosius Brueghel before being reclassified as anonymous and stored away. Osiecki’s meticulous work over several years led to the painting being officially reattributed to Peeters. Peeters was known for incorporating self-portraits into her works, subtly asserting her professional identity in a male-dominated art world.
The painting features dead birds, hazelnuts, and apricots, with distinct details that hinted at Peeters’ style. Despite challenges like woodworm damage obscuring Peeters’ signature, thorough research and comparison with other works confirmed Peeters as the true artist. The painting will now be showcased at the upcoming exhibition.
Nora Ceciliedatter, director at the National Museum of Norway, emphasized the importance of bringing visibility to historically underrepresented artists. Osiecki highlighted the ongoing need to uncover and recognize female artists whose contributions have been overlooked or misattributed. She stressed the significance of continued research to unearth more works by women artists, emphasizing the value of such efforts.