Artwork
Still life with stoneware jug, bekerschroef, glassware and a leg of ham
Still life with stoneware jug, bekerschroef, glassware and a leg of ham is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit van Vucht. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1650, this oil painting by Dutch artist Gerrit van Vucht presents a carefully arranged still‑life on a white‑covered table.
Created around 1650, this oil painting by Dutch artist Gerrit van Vucht presents a carefully arranged still‑life on a white‑covered table. Central to the composition are a substantial slice of ham, a silver stoneware pitcher, a chalice and a goblet holder, accompanied by smaller dishes, a tall vase with flowers, and a wooden staff propped against the wall. The work is part of the Ashmolean Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The tableau juxtaposes everyday foodstuffs with refined drinking vessels, highlighting the contrast between sustenance and luxury. The prominently displayed ham and the gleaming stoneware jug underscore abundance, while the delicate glassware and floral vase suggest a celebratory or banquet setting. The inclusion of a wooden stick adds a modest, rustic element, balancing the composition’s opulent and humble aspects.
Technique & Style
Van Vucht employs a restrained chiaroscuro, allowing light to strike the ham and pitcher and create sharp highlights against the subdued backdrop. Careful modeling of shadows gives the objects a tactile presence, while the smooth rendering of the white cloth and reflective surfaces demonstrates the artist’s skill in depicting varied textures within a unified spatial framework.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Ashmolean Museum’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, though earlier ownership records remain sparse. Its attribution to Gerrit van Vucht, a lesser‑known Dutch still‑life painter of the mid‑seventeenth century, rests on stylistic comparison with his other signed works and on archival references linking the piece to his oeuvre.
Artist & collection
