Still Life with Small Game, Fruit, Lobster and a Squirrel

Oil paint is applied with varied thickness to mimic surface qualities: the glossy sheen of fruit, the roughness of fur, and the hard shell of the lobster.

Oil paint is applied with varied thickness to mimic surface qualities: the glossy sheen of fruit, the roughness of fur, and the hard shell of the lobster. The squirrel’s fur and the lobster’s carapace show deliberate impasto, lending tactile realism. Brushwork remains controlled, avoiding flourish, favoring observation over drama. Lighting is even, eliminating shadows that might suggest depth or movement.

The painting has been held since at least the late 19th century by the Museum of Ethnography, though its early ownership is undocumented. Its attribution to a specific artist remains uncertain, and no records of commission or exhibition prior to museum acquisition have surfaced. It entered the collection without accompanying provenance details.

Created during the mid-16th century, the work aligns with Northern European traditions of detailed still life, where food and game symbolized wealth and the transience of life. Unlike later Dutch still lifes, it lacks allegorical elements or vanitas motifs. The inclusion of a squirrel—a non-traditional subject—hints at regional tastes or personal interest in natural specimens.

The painting contributes to early studies of natural observation in art, predating the full development of the Dutch still life genre. Its unembellished presentation and focus on texture influenced later artists interested in material realism. Though not widely reproduced, it remains a rare example of pre-1600 Northern European still life with an unusual animal subject.