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Artwork

Still Life with Books, a Globe and Musical Instruments

Jan Vermeulen , 1660

Still Life with Books, a Globe and Musical Instruments, by Jan Vermeulen, oil, 1660
Still Life with Books, a Globe and Musical Instruments, by Jan Vermeulen, oil, 1660

Still Life with Books, a Globe and Musical Instruments is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Vermeulen. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Mauritshuis.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1660 by Jan Vermeulen, a Haarlem painter associated with the Dutch Golden Age, this oil on canvas assembles a modest collection of scholarly and musical objects. A darkened backdrop frames a table partially covered by a deep‑green cloth, upon which lie three open volumes, a small wooden globe on a stand, and a few wind instruments, all illuminated by a gentle, warm light.

Subject & Meaning

The arrangement juxtaposes symbols of learning—books and a globe—with the transient pleasure of music, echoing the vanitas tradition that reminds viewers of life’s impermanence. The presence of an Ionic column base, though rendered as a simple pedestal, alludes to classical knowledge, while the well‑worn texts and the tilted globe suggest the passage of time and the fragility of human achievement.

Technique & Style

Vermeulen employs chiaroscuro to model the objects, allowing light to caress the edges of the books and the curvature of the globe while the surrounding darkness recedes. The brushwork is fine and controlled, especially in the rendering of the globe’s cartographic details and the texture of the vellum pages, creating a tactile sense of weight and age.

History & Provenance

The work entered the collection of the Mauritshuis in the Netherlands, where it remains on public display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s focus on Dutch 17th‑century painting and its interest in works that illustrate the period’s intellectual and moral preoccupations.

Context

During the mid‑17th century, Dutch artists frequently incorporated objects of study and leisure into still lifes to comment on the era’s burgeoning scholarly culture. Vermeulen’s inclusion of musical instruments alongside books mirrors contemporary interests in the harmony of the arts and the fleeting nature of sensory enjoyment within a rapidly expanding mercantile society.

Artist & collection

Artist

Jan Vermeulen

Johannes van der Molen or Johannes Jan Vermeulen was a still-life painter during the Dutch Golden Age.

Mauritshuis

Museum

Mauritshuis

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Mauritshuis open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Mauritshuis. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.