Artwork
Still Life with a Maid
Still Life with a Maid is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Frans Snyders. It dates from 1632 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Frans Snyders’ oil painting — titled *Still Life with a Maid* and dated 1632 — is part of the collection at Madrid’s Museo del Prado. The work juxtaposes a domestic figure with an abundant arrangement of food, creating a tableau that blends portraiture and still‑life conventions.
Subject & Meaning
At the center stands a woman dressed in a dark brown gown with a crisp white collar, balancing a silver tray that supports a small bird. Behind her, a table draped in red fabric bears an assortment of fruit—pears, grapes, melons—and assorted meat dishes, while a nearby basket overflows with additional fruit and blossoms, suggesting themes of abundance and the fleeting nature of material wealth.
Technique & Style
Snyders renders the scene with meticulous attention to surface qualities: the glossy sheen of the fruit contrasts with the coarse texture of the bird’s feathers. The handling of paint shows areas of thick application, especially in the fleshy fruit and the fur, creating a tactile sense of volume that enhances the realism of the composition.
History & Provenance
Executed in the early 1630s, the painting entered the Spanish royal collection before being transferred to the Prado Museum, where it remains on display. Its presence in the Prado reflects the historical appreciation of Snyders’ ability to combine genre figures with lavish still‑life elements, a hallmark of Flemish Baroque painting.
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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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