Featured Still Life Help with Sig - Possible German Artist - Also found a Devil Holding Pitchfork in painting

Hi everyone, I purchased this painting at an estate sale and the lady told me her family had lived in Germany so they probably bought it there from a local artist while visiting or living in Germany.

I was trying to make out the signature shown in pictures. I used a magnifying glass and I am pretty sure the last four letters are:

m a n n

they are the hardest to read but I am not sure what a couple of the other letters are

It is hard to make out the first two letters and did the artist only sign with last name or first and last.

? ? i t r ? m a n n

Also has anyone seen a still life with a devil with a pitchfork in it. I probably had it a year before I noticed it.

The painting has been in a closet for years and I pulled it out to see what I could find out about it. The back of the painting has Maltuch which I believe is a German canvas supplier. Thank you for your comments and help.

 

I think I finally figured out how to size images.

 

Hi Lisa!

Welcome to Antiquers..............

 

Welcome, Lisa Sadie. I don't think 'still life' is really the way to characterize it - it's far from still! More allegorical/mystical/alchemical. You have a poor soul (literally) fleeing down a strai(gh)t & narrow road from a clear representation of evil intent on catching him, all emerging from an elaborate - expensive - chalice-like vessel. I can't see the candlestick well, but there's more in the same vein going on there, I think. What is the small pocket instrument: watch, compass, lens? The Chinese bowl also evokes the mysteries of the East. All in all, Dr. Faust's study. Signature is another mystery. I like it.

 

I like it too.
The hellish scene has a Jheronimus Bosch feel. Is that a watch in the foreground? Symbol of tempus fugit?
The last name could be Pyman or Pijman, both versions of a Dutch name (like Bosch). The i and j in Pijman are joined in Dutch.

 

Could you take a couple more pics of the sig? The glare is throwing me and it's a puzzler, so a couple of more pics couldn't hurt.

I like this piece a lot.

 

VERY Interesting picture Lisa !! and WELCOME !!! ... Joy.

 

The dragon/serpent looks much less subtly done than other areas. Has it been overpainted?

 

While you are at it, add in a photo of the entire back of the piece. The more photos the better.

This is a really unusual piece. Hope you can find the artist!

 

Love this. Also hope you can get it identified.

 

After Willem Kalf.

 

Oh, nice... love it.

 

Way, way after.

Debora

 

Jonah and the Whale according to this:

https://theartisticnautilus.wordpre...s-in-17th-century-dutch-still-life-paintings/

Debora

 

The canvas maker is August Schutzmann, a business that started in 1844. A close-up of the logo might help narrow the date of your painting down.

Debora

 

I knew it had a Dutch look. That cup looks so much like a Dutch nautilus cup, which it is in the original. There is the top quality Chinese porcelain which the Dutch had access to. And of course that much later watch looked out of place, it was originally a valuable lemon from the east. The glass goblet could be Venetian.
We call this a Vanitas painting, depicting the fleeting and emptiness of earthly life. The more austere ones have skulls and decaying fruit. The message is that even earthly riches are of no value in eternity.
The Vanitas concept didn't stop the Dutch, particularly the Hollanders, from gathering ever more riches, the greedy so-and-so's.

Here are some more of Kalf's still life paintings, and background info:
http://www.all-art.org/baroque/kalf1.html

 

It does have a shiny coating on it so not sure if it is overpainted. Thank you for responding.

 

Here are a few more photos. The sheen makes it difficult to get good pictures of signature - even in the shade outside. I appreciate all of your comments. Here is a close picture of the bowl as well.