Artwork
Still life with Akelei covered beaker dish of grapes, lemon and wine glasses
Still life with Akelei covered beaker dish of grapes, lemon and wine glasses is a paint painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Nason. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Bode Museum.
About this work
Overview
Pieter Nason, a Dutch painter active in the mid‑17th century, executed this still‑life in 1660. The work presents a carefully arranged grouping of a silver beaker, grapes, lemon, wine glasses and oysters on a darkened table, set against an unadorned background that emphasizes the objects’ material qualities.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes luxury and perishability: a polished silver vessel and delicate glassware contrast with the organic forms of fruit and shellfish. The inclusion of a half‑peeled lemon and clustered grapes underscores themes of abundance and the fleeting nature of sensory pleasures, common motifs in Dutch still‑life tradition.
Technique & Style
Nason employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing light to strike the metallic surface of the beaker and the translucency of the glass, while the surrounding shadows recede. The rendering of the grapes achieves a near‑photographic realism, and the subtle texture of the cloth and background enhances the three‑dimensional effect.
History & Provenance
The painting belongs to the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. Nason, a member of The Hague Guild of Painters, helped found the Pictura Society in 1656, an organization that promoted artistic exchange among Dutch painters, situating this work within a network of contemporary still‑life production.
Context
Created during the Dutch Golden Age, the work reflects the period’s fascination with detailed observation of everyday objects and the moralizing undercurrents of vanitas. Its restrained backdrop and focus on material texture align with the broader trend of Dutch artists exploring the interplay of light, surface, and symbolic content.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Nason (bapt. 16 February 1612, Amsterdam - 1688/90, The Hague) was a Dutch painter. He became a member of the Guild of Painters of The Hague in 1639, and in 1656 was one of the forty seven members who established…
