About a month ago a client approached me about fixing up this poor Candelabra. He didn't have any idea who Steve was, but surely this card was no longer Steve's to claim. Painting over the text box was simple enough. But why stop there? The corners were a little rough. Why not an extension? The art wasn't lending itself to anything exciting. More flat orange and pale pink didn't seem like the way to go. After some brief research I suggested incorporating Pietre Claesz's 1630 painting, Vanitas Still Life.
I've sort of been looking for an opportunity to work with a Dutch still life and the Candelabra fit well into the composition. As an unexpected bonus, the candelabra's saturated colors push forward while the desaturated palette of the reproduction recedes. Here's the work in-progress...
...and here's the finished version. Condolences Steve.
