Maerten Boelema, called "de Stomme"

M a e r t e n B o e l e m a , c a l l e d "de S t o m m e "
Leeuwarden (?) 1611 - afterl664 Haarlem (?)
A'Banketje'
with a Silver Beer
Oil on panel
47 x 64cm (18 72 by 25 7s in.)
Signed and dated: B. M de Stomme. 1644
Provenance:
Private Collection. Netherlands
J. Singer. London. 1951
Curt Benedict. Paris. 1952
Exhibitions:
Natura in Posa, Galleria Lorenzelli, 1971
Literature:
Vroom (1945) p. 183. cat.no.7. pi. 172
Bol( 1969) pp.69/70. pl.57
Bergstrom (1971) pi. 18
Vroom (1980) vol.1, p. 129, pi. 171: vol.11, pp.12/
13. no.22 (erroneously listed as on canvas)
Veca (1989) p.45.pl.28
Tankard
The tew reliable biographical data available on
Maerten Boelema de Stomme are hardly
considered by Vroom. Indeed he begins his entry
on the artist with a statement on Heda: There is
certainly little documentary evidence about the
I ife and work of Willem Claesz. Heda. The number
of extant replicas of various still-lifes, apparently
highly thought of, from his hand, would indicate
however, that his studio was a hive of activity in
which many pupils must have played their parts.
Many of their names have not been preserved.
Naturally, he does mention his own son with a
certain pride, together with a young representative of a prominent Haarlem family.
Therefore when he mentions this artist from
Friesland as his pupil we may be sure that this
was because the older man respected the
younger's talent. Nowadays it would seem that
the master was so impressed with the young
Frisian because the latter was always available
and willing to produce those highly appreciated
replicas. When Vroom downgraded Maerten
Boelema de Stomme to a mere imitator of W.C.
Heda w ithout an outspoken talent . it evidently
provided satisfaction as well as motive to survey
the works of Boelema in search of similarities to
the paintings by Heda. One should not
underestimate the fact that Maerten Boelema
was handicapped by being mute and started his
artistic career very late. To justly appraise the
talent of Boelema one has to focus the study on
his later works.
1
:
1)
2)
120
Vroom (1980) p. 127
Vroom 11980) p. 127
cat. no. X V I I
121
Maerten Boelema de Stomme was probably born
in Leeuwarden as the third child of Dr. Martinus
Boelema and his second wife. Evertien Tiaertsdr.
It is documented that he was baptized in
Leeuwarden. the capital of the Northern province
of Friesland, on 17 February 1611. He was deaf
and could not speak. It is not know n if he already
had any artistic training in his native city, however
Wassenbergh dated a still life to ca. 1640. thus
indicating that he worked before he came to
Haarlem, where he entered the studio of Willem
Claesz. Heda as an apprentice in 1642. His
earliest dated painting is from the year he became
Hcda's pupil. Maerten Boelema returned to
Friesland after his apprenticeship. This did not
leave him any time slavishly copying his master.
In fact within two years he already demonstrated
a trend of liberating himself from the overwhelming talent of his master. In one of his first
signed and dated works (pi. 1)" Boelema faithfully
followed Hcda's compositional idea.
Poul Gammelbo appraises the artistic originality
of Boelema in this work to that extent, that he
might have been inspired by similar breakfast
pieces by W.C. Heda from the middle of the
1630s. Gammelbo continues by pointing out
that Vroom mentions that certain breakfast pieces
by W.C. Heda originate front the same type, the
artist (Maerten Boelema). however, never copies
himself. Bergstrom points out how a number of
breakfast pieces originate from one type of
composition by Heda. of 1637.
1
s
1
4
5
Another still life of the same year by Maerten
Boelema at the Statens Museum for Kunst in
Copenhagen ( p l . 2 ) again recalls Heda's
compositional scheme. Although the objects and
their placement can indeed be traced to more
elaborate paintings by W.C. Heda (pl.3)," it does
not seem to be purely a copy, but rather, a highly
original work.
9
1
PI. 1
Maerten Boelema de Stomme.
oil on panel 56.5 x 70.5 cm,
signed and dated 1642
Private collection, Denmark
PI. 2
Maerten Boelema cie Stomme. A Banquet
oil on panel 58 x 84 cm. signed and dated 1642
Copenhagen. Statens Museum for Kunst
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
V)
10)
Miedema( 1980) 2:532
Wassenbergh (1964) pp.200-204
Vroom (1980) vol.1, p. 130
Gammelbo 1960) p.48. pl.51 (location unknown)
Gammelbo (I960) p.48
Bergstrom (1956) p. I 12 (W.C. Heda. panel 52 x 74.2 cm. Museum Mayer van den Bergh. Antwerp
in: Vroom (1980) vol.1, p. 130. pi. 173; vol.11, p . l 1. no. 15 (there erroneously as on canvas 57 x 81 cm)
in: Vroom (1980) vol.1, p.63. pi.78; vol.II. p.76. no.370
122
PI. 3
Willem Claesz. Heda, A Sumptuous Banquet
oil on panel 75.5 x 109.5 cm, signed and dated 1643
Coll. Alan P. Good; exh.: Galerie Finck. Brussels 1978
A Banketje
with a Silver
Beer
Tankard
By 1644 Marten Boelema's work already
demonstrated another influence. In the present
painting Maerten Boelema is more indebted to
the other Haarlem master competing at the same
time with Boelema's teacher. Not only the choice
of objects but also the subtle contrast of light and
dark recalls Pieter Claesz.(pl.4). Even the critical
Vroom cannot help but compliment Boelema on
this painting: The Frisian master achieves a
greater balance in a still life again part of the
already mentioned Bergamo collection, famous
for its internationally chosen still lifes. Another
striking example of Maerten Boelema's talent is
conserved in the Heinz Family collection in
Washington. Bergstrom writes that Boelema
started his apprenticeship with Willem Claesz.
Heda , quite late, at the age of thirty-one years,
perhaps because of his handicap. This still life,
which is to be dated some years later, reminds
more of the work of Pieter Claesz, than of Heda.
By this work Boelema rivals these two great
Haarlem masters. The high quality of Boelema's
work makes it seem possible that a number of his
pictures may have had their signatures erased so
that they could pass as works by W.C. Heda or
Pieter Claesz..
11
12
Acknowledging Boelema's free interpretation of
various styles and influences w h i c h he
experienced within the Haarlem school, one is
tempted to suspect that Boelema developed his
own personal style after he had left Heda's studio
and had returned to Friesland.
11)
12)
13)
14)
124
Vroom (1980) p. 129
Bergstrom (1989) p.98
Vroom (1980) vol.11, p.13. no.28 illustrated
Vroom (1980) vol.1, p. 130
1
A painting formerly with Brod in London *
documents a less monochrome style, more distant
from the Haarlem school. The work is obviously
more colorful than the 'Monochrome Banketjes'
of earlier days; Influences from Antwerp and
fromde Heem, among others, adopted to Northern
Netherlandish customs can not be denied.... The
still life is above all worthy of attention because
of the unmistakeable indication it contains as to
further information about the later career of the
Frisian painter.
14
There are no further documents available in
reference to Boelema's artistic development and
production. Since no additional signed and dated
works have surfaced, one is inclined to support
Bergstrom's suspicion that many of Boelema's
still life paintings have had their signatures
removed in favor of attributions which at the
time were considered to be of major importance.
PI. 4
Pieter Claesz., A Monochrome Still Life
Oil on panel 49 x 74 cm
signed with a monogram and dated 1628
Private Collection. Netherlands
125