Artwork
Fruit Still Life with Two Parrots
Fruit Still Life with Two Parrots is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Balthasar van der Ast. It dates from 1623 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1623, this oil painting presents a richly detailed still life centered on a large blue‑and‑white bowl brimming with fruit and blossoms. Two parrots, one rendered in blue and yellow and the other in red and white, are perched beside the vessel, adding movement to the otherwise static composition. The work is part of the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst.
Subject & Meaning
The arrangement juxtaposes the natural abundance of ripe fruit and flowers with the exotic presence of the parrots, suggesting themes of vitality and the interplay between domestic bounty and far‑reaching trade. The dark, muted wall behind the scene heightens the luminous colors, emphasizing the sense of warmth and exuberance that the objects convey.
Technique & Style
Executed in the refined oil technique typical of the Dutch Golden Age, the painting displays meticulous attention to texture—from the glossy skin of the fruit to the iridescent plumage of the birds. The artist employs a balanced composition, using chiaroscuro to model forms and create depth, while the vibrant palette underscores the realism prized by still‑life specialists of the period.
History & Provenance
Balthasar van der Ast, a Middelburg‑born painter active in the early‑to‑mid‑17th century, produced this work during a prolific phase of still‑life creation. After changing hands over the centuries, it entered the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings, where it remains on public display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Balthasar van der Ast (Middelburg, 1593/94 – Delft, 7 March 1657) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in still lifes of flowers and fruit, as well as painting a number of remarkable shell still lifes; he is…
