Maria Margaretha van Os (1779-1862).

Still Life with Flowers and Fruit

The Hague, c. 1820–1840.

Oil on panel, 38 x 29 cm. In a contemporary, elaborate gilded gesso frame with an ornate pierced design, with a small plaque engraved “Maria van Os” on the lower centre.

This wonderful still life by Maria Margaretha van Os is a key transitional work in her career, marking her shift from student to independent artist.
Maria was a Dutch still-life painter from the distinguished artistic Van Os family in The Hague. She was trained by her parents, the pastellist Susanna de la Croix and the celebrated still-life painter Jan van Os, alongside her brothers Pieter Gerardus van Os and Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os. Her work gained national recognition, and in 1826 she was named an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam—an exceptional honour for a woman at the time.

The execution of this painting bears a closer resemblance to the work of her father than to her later still lifes, underscoring its early place in her oeuvre. Notably, it is the only known example in which she signed on the left, following Jan van Os’s customary placement. All other known works are signed M.M. van Os or a variant thereof, consistently on the right. The placement of the signature in this instance suggests that she was still closely aligned with her father’s practice at the time of its creation. The style of the lettering, particularly the formation of the capital 'M', is consistent with her authenticated right-side signatures, supporting its attribution. Her later decision to sign on the right appears to have been a deliberate effort to distinguish her work from that of her father and assert her own artistic identity. In this light, the present work likely constitutes a breakthrough piece—one that captures the moment she emerged from her father’s influence and established herself as an artist in her own right. It is, therefore, a rare and historically significant painting, offering a unique glimpse into a formative period in Maria van Os’s career.

This painting is a beautiful and refined example of Maria Margaretha van Os’s mastery of still-life painting. It showcases her exceptional attention to detail, delicate rendering of textures, and skilful use of light to create depth and realism. The composition is both harmonious and elegant, reflecting her deep understanding of natural forms and their arrangement.

Provenance:

With Knoedler London, 1928, £25; Unknown private collection;  Hannam’s Auctioneers, UK, 2025.

Condition

Sources:

https://rkd.nl/imageslite/3910387 (this painting)

Immerzeel 2, 285

Kramm 1857-1864

Catalogi van tentoonstellingen van Levende Meesters, gehouden in Den Haag, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, Utrecht in de jaren 1814-1844 [ex. aanwezig op Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, Den Haag].

De Vrouw 1813-1913 Tentoonstellingscatalogus Meerhuizen Amsteldijk (Amsterdam 1913) 112.

A. Hoogenboom, De stand des kunstenaars. De positie van kunstschilders in Nederland in de eerste helft van de negentiende eeuw (Leiden 1993) 91.

S. van Loo, ‘The forgotten accomplishments of the painter duet Maria Margaretha van Os (1779-1862) and Petronella van Woensel (1785-1839), or how two Dutch women artists in the first half of the nineteenth century befriended one another and decided to dedicate their lives to still-life painting’, Jaarboek Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Antwerpen 2000) 231-263.

Hanna Klarenbeek, Os, Maria Margaretha van, in: Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland.

Art Prices Current, 1928, no. 1539.