Artwork
Still-Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup
Still-Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Maerten Boelema de Stomme. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
About this work
Overview
The work is part of the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
Maerten Boelema de Stomme’s 1644 oil painting, titled Still‑Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup, presents a carefully arranged tabletop scene. A white cloth drapes the surface, upon which a fish, a loaf of bread, and several modest dishes are displayed alongside a metal cup fashioned after a nautilus shell, a globe, and a carved bearded jug. The work is part of the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes everyday foodstuffs—fish and bread—with exotic and decorative objects such as the nautilus‑shaped cup and the bearded crock, a type of Bartmann jug. This contrast highlights the material culture of the Dutch Golden Age, suggesting themes of abundance, trade, and the curiosity for foreign curiosities that characterized the period’s mercantile society.
Technique & Style
Boelema employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, setting the objects against a deep, almost black background that intensifies their three‑dimensionality. Light falls on the fish’s scales, the smooth metal of the cup, and the carved facial features of the jug, rendering textures with meticulous detail. The overall effect is a crisp, almost tactile rendering of each surface.
History & Provenance
Created in 1644, the painting remained in private hands before entering the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, where it is currently displayed. Its provenance reflects the typical trajectory of Dutch still‑life works, moving from regional collections to national institutions during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Context
During the mid‑17th century, Dutch artists frequently explored still‑life subjects to demonstrate technical skill and to comment on the prosperity of the Republic. Boelema’s inclusion of a globe and a nautilus cup points to the era’s expanding global trade networks, while the presence of a Bartmann jug references a popular vessel type used for storage and transport of goods.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maerten Boelema de Stomme (1611–1644) was a Dutch artist, born in Leeuwarden.
Museum
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
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