Pieter Withoos (Dutch, 1653-1693)
Northern Shoveler Duck
Watercolor on paper
Paper size: 6 x 8 1/2 in
Frame size: 15 1/4 x 17 1/2 in
Signed: P.W. fc.

Pieter Withoos (Dutch, 1653-1693) 

Pieter Withoos was a noted natural history painter in late-seventeenth century Amsterdam. He excelled at painting birds, insects, and flowers in the challenging watercolor medium, his meticulous draftsmanship evident in the delineation of each hair or feather. These technically flawless depictions of a Male Teal and a Northern Shoveler Duck are rare examples in which Withoos depicted an American species. Each duck, shown in profile, is portrayed with exacting detail, glossy, iridescent plumage, and a distinct sense of vitality. Withoos focuses the viewer’s attention on the birds by providing a softly rendered setting. Still, his inclusion of small mounds of grassy earth is highly naturalistic and places each duck within a plausible environment.

Withoos was the second son of Matthias Withoos, a prominent Dutch artist who specialized in painting city views, landscapes, portraits, and still-lifes, plants, and insects. Matthias spent two years in Rome, during which he won wide renown for his natural history works and frequently worked for the illustrious Cardinal de Medici. He trained Pieter in the field of painting, imparting his style of exacting realism to his talented, but short-lived, son.

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