PIETER CLAESZ (Berchem [Antwerp] 1597/1598 – Haarlem 1661)
A Roll, Herring, Silver Saltcellar, Large Roemer and Knife on a Draped Table
indistinctly signed with monogram PC and dated 1644 in the center right
oil on panel
28 ¼ x 23 ½ inches (72 x 59.5 cm.)
17th CENTURY PROFIT MAXIMIZATION
To the untrained eye, many of the Dutch still-lifes from the 17th century look the same. Roemer (glass) of wine – check! Silver piece (in this case a saltcellar) - check! A herring – check! Particularly within the Haarlem school of still-life painters, most notably Willem Claesz Heda and Pieter Claesz, the props in the painting and the composition are similar if not identical. But, one of these artists definitely had a different set of talents.
Pieter Claesz (1596/97–1660) moved to Haarlem and was married there in 1617. It is thought he trained in Antwerp, but his early life is not known. He started off painting with a more vibrant pallet but eventually moved into a more mono-chromatic style for which he is known today. He and his contemporary, Willem Claesz Heda became the most important representatives of what was often called ‘the breakfast piece’ and although their careers ran in parallel, their lives did not.
Claesz and Heda had much in common; both still life painters, both Catholics, both entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs? Not something normally associated with artists. Interestingly, only one was an art entrepreneur. Heda came from a well to do family, well established in Haarlem. He married a woman from a successful brewing family and was actively involved in real estate and in his wife’s family brewing business. Painting for him was not an exercise in income, but joy and increased social mobility. He spent time working on large still lifes and had the luxury of enjoying the craft. Claesz however, moved to Haarlem as a lowly migrant and married a woman with a similarly unexciting status. Claesz was therefore challenged to earn a living from his work.
As we have said many times in the past, the Dutch were an inventive bunch. They had the first stock exchange, understood global trade better and earlier than anyone else and by the 17th century, had an art market filled with savvy marketeers. Claesz was one of them. Once Claesz had an established reputation as a top quality still life painter, he did something a bit different. Yes, we have heard of artists workshops – actively cranking out paintings for income, but Claesz created – what they refer to in the fashion industry as a ‘Bridge’ line. Defined as a lower priced line created by a successful brand, bridge products have the look of designer products but are made from less expensive materials; Dolce & Gabbana/D&G or Donna Karan/DKNY are just a few examples.
Pieter Claesz created his own ‘Bridge’ line of art works. To generate more income and better profits, the artist started to manufacture inferior paintings to exploit the large open art market. These less important paintings were small in scale and often were painted with less expensive paint! He was practicing the principles of Lean manufacturing (minimize waste /maximize profit) in his own workshop. Sadly, because of the low quality of the paint, many of these examples did not survive. He also cannily often did not sign these works. At the same time, Claesz was also producing much more elaborate, time consuming, finely finished still lifes showing off his considerable talents (like our work here) to keep his brand standards high. This clever use of – what we think of as modern – marketing practices helped to not only generate income but also generate branding.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Pieter Claesz was as successful with his finances as he was with his marketing. He seems to have over and over again fallen into debt although he was obviously producing a decent income. And sadly, just like with many Bridge lines after him, following his death his brand became diluted. But, for a brief fleeting moment, he was a marketing genius, not to mention and extremely talented artist. Sometimes one just can’t have it all!
6 July, 2022