Artwork
Still life with fruit, bread, and glassware
Still life with fruit, bread, and glassware is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jasper Geeraards. It dates from 1625 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art. Created in 1625, this copper painting presents a modest banquet scene composed of bread, grapes, a lemon, a plate and two wine glasses.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1625, this copper painting presents a modest banquet scene composed of bread, grapes, a lemon, a plate and two wine glasses.
Created in 1625, this copper painting presents a modest banquet scene composed of bread, grapes, a lemon, a plate and two wine glasses. The objects are arranged on a tabletop, their forms rendered with careful attention to the play of light and shadow, which gives the composition a convincing sense of space and volume. The work exemplifies the still‑life genre that flourished in the Dutch Golden Age.
Subject & Meaning
The assortment of everyday foodstuffs and drinking vessels reflects the period’s interest in depicting the material comforts of domestic life. By juxtaposing perishable fruit with sturdy bread, the image subtly alludes to themes of abundance, transience and the pleasures of the table, inviting viewers to contemplate both the tangible and the fleeting nature of such delights.
Technique & Style
Executed on a copper support, the painting benefits from the metal’s smooth surface, allowing for fine detail and luminous color. The artist employs chiaroscuro, contrasting bright highlights on the glass and fruit with deep shadows in the background, thereby modeling the forms and enhancing the illusion of three‑dimensionality. The composition follows the pronkstilleven tradition, characterized by an elaborate yet balanced arrangement of objects.
History & Provenance
Jasper Geeraards, a Flemish painter active in Antwerp and Amsterdam from the early 1620s to the mid‑1650s, produced this work during his mature period. It entered the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art, where it remains on display, offering a representative example of the artist’s contribution to the still‑life tradition of the Dutch Golden Age.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jasper Geerards, Jasper Geerardi or Jasper Geeraerts (c. 1620 – between 1649 and 1654) was a Flemish painter who specialized in still lifes and in particular pronkstillevens (ostentatious still lifes). He was active in…
