Who painted Big banquet?

Big banquet was painted by Georg Flegel in 1620.

Where can I see Big banquet?

Big banquet is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Big banquet?

Big banquet is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Big banquet

Georg Flegel , 1620

Big banquet is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Georg Flegel. It dates from 1620 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Overview

Georg Flegel’s 1620 oil painting, titled *Big banquet*, presents a richly arranged still life that captures a moment of lavish consumption. The composition centers on a table laden with assorted fruits, breads, pastries, and a vivid parrot, while a vase of flowers adds a burst of colour. A blue tablecloth in the background subtly offsets the warm tones, creating a sense of festive abundance.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts a banquet scene that celebrates material plenty and the sensory pleasures of food. By juxtaposing exotic elements such as the parrot with familiar European produce—grapes, lemons, figs, and baked goods—the painting suggests both the reach of trade networks and the cultural value placed on hospitality and display.

Technique & Style

Flegel employs a careful handling of oil to render textures, from the glossy plumage of the bird to the soft skin of fruit and the crisp crust of bread. Light falls across the surface, producing a chiaroscuro effect that models forms and enhances depth, while the detailed rendering aligns with the meticulous realism characteristic of early German still‑life.

History & Provenance

Created in the early seventeenth century, the painting reflects Flegel’s activity after his relocation from Olomouc to Frankfurt, where he became a notable figure in German still‑life painting. *Big banquet* entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of Baroque-era works.

Context

The composition belongs to the broader Dutch Golden Age tradition of banquet still lifes, a genre that conveyed wealth, trade, and moral messages about transience. Though German, Flegel’s approach mirrors contemporary Northern European trends, integrating detailed observation with symbolic content that would influence later still‑life painters.

Artist & collection

Artist

Georg Flegel

Georg Flegel (c. 1566 – 23 March 1638) was a German painter, best known for his still-life works. Born in Olomouc, he later worked in Frankfurt, where he became a leading figure in early German still-life painting.