Artwork
Still life with fruit, roast, silver- and glassware, porcelain and columbine cup on a dark tablecloth with white serviette
Still life with fruit, roast, silver- and glassware, porcelain and columbine cup on a dark tablecloth with white serviette is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Abraham van Beijeren. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Abraham van Beijeren's 1660 oil painting, Still life with fruit, roast, silver- and glassware, porcelain and columbine cup on a dark tablecloth with white serviette, exemplifies Dutch Golden Age still life. This work showcases a lavish arrangement of food and luxury items, characteristic of the artist's mature period. It is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents an opulent feast, featuring a variety of fruits such as grapes, peaches, pears, and a sliced melon, alongside a roast. Precious items like a silver pitcher, gleaming metal cups, and a distinctive columbine-shaped glass beaker are arranged on a dark tablecloth, with a white serviette draped prominently. This abundance reflects the prosperity of the Dutch Golden Age.
Technique & Style
The meticulous rendering of reflective surfaces, from polished silver to translucent glass, demonstrates the artist's skill in depicting material richness.
Van Beijeren employed dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro, to create a sense of depth and highlight the textures of the various objects. The meticulous rendering of reflective surfaces, from polished silver to translucent glass, demonstrates the artist's skill in depicting material richness. A dim background with a hint of a curtain and a figure further enhances the theatrical presentation of the scene.
History & Provenance
Abraham van Beijeren, initially trained as a marine painter, transitioned to specializing in still lifes, a genre for which he became widely recognized. This particular work, created in 1660, is a significant example of his elaborate "pronk" (display) still lifes. It is part of the esteemed collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it represents a facet of 17th-century Dutch art.
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…
