Mariana Van der Stoop

Stockholms Auktionsverk, from Sweden, sells on 14 February 2017 an "Attributed to Mariana van der Stoop, German 18th century" still life, estimated at 850 Euro.

Mariana Van der Stoop is a German (Hamburg) painter of whom very little is known (both her work and life). The attribution is based on a label on the back, and the only other work I could find with the same attribution is also such a still life with a mysterious hand appearing in it.

RKD has one other work, from an auction in  1944, which was signed. It is also a still life, but without the hand. RKD gives her active period as last quart of the 17th century, which is somewhat earlier than other sources. They give her first name as Marianna, with double N.

The painting is well made, and unusual enough to be interesting to modern buyers who would shun the standard still lifes. Add to this that we have here a rare example of a female painter, which is an additional reason to collect it (and to feature it here), and 800 Euro seems cheap. But it was already for sale in December as well, with the same estimate, and didn't find buyers then, so perhaps it will struggle again now. The damage to the paint surface may be partially to blame for this of course.