Artwork
Large Still-life with a Lady and a Parrot
Large Still-life with a Lady and a Parrot is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Frans Snyders. It dates from 1618 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Overview
Frans Snyders’ oil painting, Large Still-life with a Lady and a Parrot, dates to 1618 and is part of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister collection. The work combines a domestic interior with a lavish arrangement of food, fruit, and a bird, centered around a seated woman in a blue dress.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a richly laden table featuring game birds, a turkey and rabbit, alongside bowls of pears, plums, strawberries, and a basket of berries held by the woman. A perched parrot and a vase of flowers add exotic touches, suggesting abundance and the interplay of nature and cultivated luxury.
Technique & Style
Snyders employs a strong chiaroscuro, contrasting a deep, shadowed background with the luminous surfaces of the fruit and fabrics. The careful modeling of light on the textures of meat, feathers, and skin creates a convincing spatial depth and emphasizes the tactile qualities of each object.
History & Provenance
Created in the early seventeenth century, the painting has remained within the German museum tradition, ultimately entering the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister’s holdings. Its provenance reflects the continued interest in Snyders’ genre scenes among European collectors.
Artist & collection
Artist
Frans Snyders or Frans Snijders was a Flemish painter of animals, hunting scenes, market scenes, and still lifes.
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