Artwork
Still Life
Still Life is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Frans Snyders. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1628, this oil painting by Flemish artist Frans Snyders presents a meticulously arranged still life. The composition rests on a white‑clothed table and gathers a range of everyday items—dead game, a bowl of fruit, a basket of vegetables, a plate of cookies, and a vase of flowers—rendered with careful observation.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes the abundance of food and the transience of life, a common motif in 17th‑century still lifes. By placing freshly harvested produce alongside the carcasses of a rabbit and a bird, Snyders invites contemplation of nature’s cycles, the pleasures of the table, and the inevitability of decay.
Technique & Style
Snyders employs pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing light to strike the objects while deep shadows recede, which creates a convincing sense of volume. The brushwork captures varied textures: the softness of rabbit fur, the glossy skin of fruit, the crispness of vegetables, and the delicate petals of the flowers, all articulated through a restrained palette.
History & Provenance
The painting has been part of the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp since its acquisition in the 20th century. Its attribution to Snyders, a leading specialist in market and animal scenes, is supported by stylistic analysis and documented inventories from the artist’s workshop.
Context
During the early Baroque period, Flemish painters like Snyders responded to a growing market for decorative still lifes that displayed wealth and culinary bounty. This piece reflects that demand, combining realistic detail with a theatrical arrangement that would have appealed to affluent patrons seeking both visual pleasure and moral reflection.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Frans Snyders or Frans Snijders was a Flemish painter of animals, hunting scenes, market scenes, and still lifes.
Still life of fruit in a basket together with game, a bowl of fraises-de-bois, artichokes, asparagus and a squirrel upon a table draped with a red cloth
The Fruit Shop
Fish Market
Still Life with Dead Game, Fruits, and Vegetables in a Market
Larder Still life
Still Life with Huntsman
Still Life with a Dead Stag
A bull overpowered by dogs