"Stilleven met kruiken, boeken en tabakszakje" by Henk Helmantel

Name: "Stilleven met kruiken, boeken en tabakszakje" by Henk Helmantel
Brand: The Collector
Availability: LimitedAvailability

Oil on panel still life by Henk Helmantel showing jugs, books, and a note overhang. - view 1

1/3

Estimated value

$15,000 - $35,000

Rarity

Scarce(6/10)

Type

Museum Object

"STILLEVEN MET KRUIKEN, BOEKEN EN TABAKSZAKJE" BY HENK HELMANTEL: IDENTIFICATION

An oil on panel still life measuring 62 x 75 cm, depicting a curated arrangement on a wooden ledge. The composition features a large, textured terracotta vessel, a smaller glazed jug with a checkerboard pattern, a red clothbound book alongside a stack of blue and green volumes (one titled 'VAN HOORN STAATSINRICHTING'), and a leather tobacco pouch drawn with a red cord. A folded handwritten note overhangs the stone-colored shelf, creating a trompe l'oeil effect. The didactic gallery label affixed to the wall confirms the artist as Henk Helmantel, the execution date as 1985, and the medium as oil on panel.

Compare with other paintings in the archive: Still Life with Cardboard Boxes by Henk Helmantel, Oil on Board/Canvas Still Life by Henk Helmantel, Surrealist Painting by William Vandenjoc.

PERIOD & ATTRIBUTION

Created in 1985, this panel exemplifies the late 20th-century revival of traditional painting methods championed by the Noordelijke Realisten (Northern Realists) in the Netherlands. Helmantel explicitly studied 17th-century Dutch Golden Age masters, adopting their careful manipulation of raking light, dark backgrounds, and precise rendering of varying textures, while utilizing objects from his personal collection of antiquities and rustic artifacts.

SCARCITY

Scarce80-90%

CommonLegendary

Genuinely harder to find. Perhaps only dozens come to market annually. Collectors actively watch for these pieces.

Rarity 6/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 16 paintings items at rarity 6 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

Dozens per year at market
Documented provenance valued
Active collector pursuit

Confidence Factors

Presence of a professional gallery/museum didactic label matching the visual evidence
Signature executing explicitly in Helmantel's known red-pigment style, dated 1985
Technique, lighting, and specific prop usage align perfectly with the artist's confirmed body of work

How does authenticity detection work?

THE ART SPECIALIST'S TAKE

Museum-Trained Art Historian

Connoisseur

Confidence is exceptionally high due to the presence of a professional didactic label that cross-references perfectly with the visible 1985 signature, the specified dimensions, the recognizable subject matter, and the oil-on-panel medium typical of this specific artist.

KEY EVIDENCE

1Gallery label explicitly identifying the title, artist, dimension (62 x 75 cm), date, and medium.
2Red painted signature 'H N Helmantel 1985' in the lower right quadrant.
3Specular highlights indicating a high-gloss oil medium on a rigid panel support.
4Legible Dutch text on the green spine ('VAN HOORN STAATSINRICHTING').

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

→Examine the reverse of the panel for exhibition labels, inventory numbers, or artist seals.
→Perform ultraviolet light inspection to assess the consistency of the varnish layer and check for localized retouching.

CONDITION & GRADE

Condition

The painted surface appears structurally stable with an intact, even varnish coat and no visible craquelure or cupping. The dark wood profile frame with gilt inner slip shows minor contact abrasions and minute localized losses along the lower front edge.

ART MARKET VALUATION

$15,000 - $35,000

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Collectors of contemporary classical realism, particularly buyers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany focused on the Northern Realists movement.

What increases value

•Medium to large scale dimensions (above 50cm wide) command premiums in this artist's market.
•Inclusion of recognizable antiquities and trompe l'oeil elements like the overhanging paper.
•Earlier execution dates (1980s-1990s) are highly desirable compared to late-career works.

What lowers value

•Any scratches or degradation to the highly finished, smooth varnish layer.
•Lack of documented provenance tracing back to the primary gallery representation.