Simon Pietersz Verelst

Simon Pietersz Verelst (1644–) was an Anglo-Dutch painter. He is known for outstanding flower and fruit still life paintings.

Biography Simon Pietersz Verelst was the fourth child of Pieter Hermansz Verelst and his first wife, Adriana van Gesel.

Weyerman wrote at length about the qualities of Simon’s still-lifes and Sam Segal and Paul Taylor both analysed his earlier flower pieces. As late as 1692, Marshall Smith praised his work: "Mr. Simon Verelst Paints Flowers estream fine, beyond any in former or present Age, for neatness".

Paul Taylor describes Verelst as having “great financial (but middling artistic) success” in portrait painting: he was said to be the highest paid artist in London at the time of his marriage in 1684. Many of his subjects moved in court circles: Charles II, James II, Mary of Modena, the Duke of Buckingham, the Duchess of Norfolk, the Duchess of Portsmouth and Nell Gwyn. Certainly there is evidence that at least one of Simon’s brothers was able to talk to other artists about Simon’s technique as late as 1697.

Very little, if any, of the works of Verelst’s last years are identifiable. Arguably, after death of Herman Verelst in 1699 and of William Verelst in 1702, Simon was adrift without support. According to Weyerman, he worked for Lovejoy in The Strand but when this started and finished is unknown. A vase of flowers, , oil on canvas, 106.6 cm × 88.8 cm. Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, inv. PD.48-1966. Flowers in a vase, , oil on wood, 26.4 cm × 22.6 cm (unframed), signed (S.V.). Cleveland, Ohio, The Cleveland Museum of Art, inv. 1982.246. Mary of Modena, , oil on canvas, 125.7 cm × 102.7 cm, signed (centre left: "S, VE. J~[monogram]"). New Haven, Connecticut, Yale Center for British Art, inv. B1979.19. Nell Gwyn, , oil on canvas, 93.5 cm × 74.8 cm. London, National Portrait Gallery, inv. NPG L248. Nell Gwyn, , oil on canvas, 73.7 cm × 63.2 cm, signed and dated. Place, Gallery, inv. NPG 249. Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Count Palatine, Duke of Cumberland (1619–1682), , oil on canvas, 126.0 cm × 102.0 cm. Petworth, Petworth House and Park (National Trust), inv. NT 486254. Louise de Kérouaille (1649–1734), Duchess of Portsmouth, , oil on canvas, 44.5 cm × 52.1 cm. Shifnall, Weston Park, inv. 101.0019.

Prints

Isaac Beckett, after Simon Verelst, Madam Ellen Gwinn, , mezzotint, 12.0 cm × 95.0 cm. London, British Museum, inv. P,6.210. Isaac Beckett, after Simon Verelst, George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, , mezzotint, 36.5 cm × 26.6 cm. London, National Portrait Gallery, inv. NPG D1130. Bernard Lens after Simon Verelst, Vaas met bloemen en een vlinder, , mezzotint on paper, 34.5 cm × 24.8 cm. Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. RP-P-1904-1287. Robert Robinson after Simon Verelst, Flowers in a glass vase with fruit and butterflies, 1682, mezzotint on paper, 23.0 cm × 16.7 cm (sheet). New Haven, Connecticut, Yale Center for British Art, inv. B1970.3.1123. Peter Vanderbank, after Simon Verelst, Charlotte Lee (née Fitzroy), Countess of Lichfield, , line engraving, 37.2 cm × 27.3 cm. London, National Portrait Gallery, inv. NPG D31002.