Peter SNIJERS (Antwerp, 1681 - 1752) Scene of a nocturnal undergrowth with hedgehog, fruit and birds' nest Oil on canvas Signed 'P Snijers / (...)' lower right Nighttime undergrowth scene with hedgehog, fruit and bird's nest, oil on canvas, signed, by P. Snijers 16.53 x 14.56 in. 42.0 x 37.0 cm Provenance: S. Nystad, The Hague, circa 1954 (as Pieter Gijsels); Anonymous sale (from the collections of L. E. Cats and W. C. Smidt van Gelder); Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 25 November 1958, no. 6 (as Pieter Gijsels); Anonymous sale; Amsterdam, Mak van Waay B. V. & H.S. Nienhuis, 11 June - 3 July 1974, no. 233 (as Pieter Gijsels); Anonymous sale; London, Sotheby's, 11 April 1990, n° 27 (as Pieter Snijers) The son of a wealthy merchant, Peter Snijers attended Alexander van Bredael's studio in 1694-1695 and then joined the Antwerp painters' guild as a master at the relatively advanced age of 26 or 27. A versatile artist, Snijers produced a varied body of work comprising portraits, allegories, hunting scenes, landscapes and still lifes. Sources point to a flourishing business, as he was able to buy a house, 'Het Hertenwoud', on the prestigious Meir in Antwerp, which he occupied from 1739 until his death, housing an important collection of Flemish and Dutch paintings. Our charming painting can be compared with other scenes of undergrowth by the artist, in which the cut leaves of the thistle are highlighted by a large shrub in the foreground. A similar composition, showing the same microcosm of nocturnal animals, including the hedgehog emerging from the foliage, was sold in London at Sotheby's (sale of 8 December 2005, no. 340). We also know another similar work by the master in the collections of the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (no. 3665), in which, in addition to the hedgehog, we can see a bird's nest, a small field mouse and a goldfinch on a branch. With its nocturnal setting and its poetic yet disturbing character, our painting is reminiscent of the art of its predecessor Otto Marseus van Schrieck (Nijmegen, c. 1619-Amsterdam, 1678), a true pioneer in the field of undergrowth painting. He developed a passion for the natural sciences and incorporated real butterfly wing scales into his pictorial material. Our painter follows in his footsteps, and his choice of plants and animals has a symbolic dimension. Peter SNIJERS (Antwerp, 1681 - 1752) 42.0 x 37.0 cm The son of a wealthy merchant, Peter Snijers attended Alexander van Bredael's studio in 1694-1695 and then joined the Antwerp painters' guild as a master at the relatively advanced age of 26 or 27. A versatile artist, Snijers produced a varied body of work comprising portraits, allegories, hunting scenes, landscapes and still lifes. Sources point to a flourishing business, as he was able to buy a house, 'Het Hertenwoud', on the prestigious Meir in Antwerp, which he occupied from 1739 until his death, housing an important collection of Flemish and Dutch paintings. Our charming painting can be compared with other scenes of undergrowth by the artist, in which the cut leaves of the thistle are highlighted by a large shrub in the foreground. A similar composition, showing the same microcosm of nocturnal animals including the hedgehog emerging from the foliage, was sold in London at Sotheby's (sale of 8 December 2005, no. 340). We also know of another similar work by the master in the collections of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (no. 3665), in which, in addition to the hedgehog, we can see a bird's nest, a small field mouse and a goldfinch on a branch. With its nocturnal setting and its poetic yet disturbing character, our painting is reminiscent of the art of its predecessor Otto Marseus van Schrieck (Nijmegen, c. 1619-Amsterdam, 1678), a true pioneer in the field of undergrowth painting. He developed a passion for the natural sciences and incorporated real butterfly wing scales into his pictorial material. Our painter follows in his footsteps, and his choice of plants and animals has a symbolic dimension.