Artwork
The lemon slice
The lemon slice is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Ochtervelt. It dates from 1667 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
The composition balances a seated figure turned away from the viewer with a standing companion who leans over a low table, offering an object.
Jacob Ochtervelt’s oil painting, dated 1667, presents an intimate interior scene dominated by a vivid red dress and a modest still‑life arrangement that includes a lemon. The composition balances a seated figure turned away from the viewer with a standing companion who leans over a low table, offering an object. The work resides in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, exemplifying the Dutch genre tradition of the mid‑seventeenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The central focus is a woman in a bright red gown trimmed with white fur, positioned against a darkened wall, suggesting both status and isolation. Opposite her, a man in a dark coat presents a small item—likely the lemon—symbolizing domestic exchange or the fleeting nature of luxury. The inclusion of the citrus fruit, a rare import at the time, underscores themes of wealth, trade, and the sensory pleasures of everyday life.
Technique & Style
Ochtervelt employs chiaroscuro to model forms, allowing the red dress to emerge from the surrounding shadows while the soft illumination catches the sheen of the fur and the polished surface of a silver pitcher. The brushwork renders textures—fabric, metal, fruit—with meticulous detail, characteristic of Dutch genre painting’s emphasis on realism and subtle atmospheric effects.
History & Provenance
Created in 1667, the painting entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, one of Germany’s foremost art museums, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the 19th‑century European interest in Dutch Golden Age works, and the piece has been documented in the museum’s catalogues since its arrival.
Context
Ochtervelt, active in Amsterdam, was known for scenes that blend domestic interiors with nuanced social commentary. This work aligns with the period’s fascination with genre subjects that reveal moral or economic undercurrents, such as the presence of imported citrus, while also showcasing the artist’s skill in rendering light, texture, and the quiet drama of everyday encounters.
Artist & collection
