Artwork
A market stall in the Indies
A market stall in the Indies is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Albert Eckhout. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created around 1650, this oil painting records a bustling market scene in Dutch Brazil.
About this work
Overview
The composition centers on a table laden with an array of tropical produce—bananas, coconuts, pineapples, nuts and shells—surrounded by four figures.
Created around 1650, this oil painting records a bustling market scene in Dutch Brazil. The composition centers on a table laden with an array of tropical produce—bananas, coconuts, pineapples, nuts and shells—surrounded by four figures. A white bird perches on the table, while a woman in a patterned dress leans forward, and three men, one in a hat, examine a bowl. The work belongs to the Rijksmuseum collection.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas functions as a visual inventory of the New World’s abundance, juxtaposing European observers with indigenous foods and fauna. The inclusion of a striking white bird and the varied fruits underscores the exoticism that fascinated 17th‑century Dutch audiences, while the attentive gestures of the figures suggest a documentary intent rather than mere decoration.
Technique & Style
Executed in the Dutch Golden Age manner, the painting employs a luminous palette of warm reds, yellows and greens to render the tropical items with tactile realism. Fine brushwork delineates the textures of shells and fruit skins, while the contrast between the bird’s bright plumage and the dark tabletop creates a focal point, a hallmark of the period’s still‑life conventions.
History & Provenance
Albert Eckhout, a Dutch painter attached to the court of Johan Maurits in Brazil, produced the work during his stay in the colony. After remaining in the artist’s estate, the painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s representation of Dutch colonial art and 17th‑century natural history illustration.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albert Eckhout (c.1610–1665) was a Dutch portrait and still life painter. Eckhout, the son of Albert Eckhourt and Marryen Roeleffs, was born in Groningen, but his training as an artist and early career are unknown. A…
