Artwork
Still Life with a Lobster and Turkey
Still Life with a Lobster and Turkey is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Abraham van Beijeren. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Still Life with a Lobster and Turkey is a 1652 oil painting by Dutch Baroque artist Abraham van Beijeren, featuring a meticulously detailed arrangement of luxury food items on a white-clothed table.
Subject & Meaning
The painting showcases a lavish display of food, including a red lobster and a brown turkey, accompanied by fruits and vegetables, symbolizing abundance and luxury characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age.
Technique & Style
Van Beijeren employed oil paint to achieve a high level of detail, emphasizing texture in both the food items and the tablecloth, within a predominantly muted color palette of browns and tans.
History & Provenance
Created in 1652, the work marks Van Beijeren's shift from marine painting to still lifes, contributing to the rich artistic output of the Dutch Golden Age.
Context
This piece is part of the broader tradition of 17th-century Dutch still-life painting, which often highlighted the country's prosperity through depictions of opulent tables.
Artist & collection
Artist
Abraham Hendriksz van Beijeren or Abraham van Beyeren (c. 1620, The Hague – March 1690, Overschie (Rotterdam)) was a Dutch Baroque painter of still lifes. Little recognized in his day and initially active as a marine…
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