Artwork
Still Life with a Silver Jug and a Porcelain Bowl
Still Life with a Silver Jug and a Porcelain Bowl is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem Kalf. It dates from 1656 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Still Life with a Silver Jug and a Porcelain Bowl is an oil on canvas painting created by Willem Kalf between 1655 and 1660. It is a still life composition featuring a silver jug and a porcelain bowl with fruit.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a dark background with a shiny silver jug and a blue-and-white porcelain bowl containing fruit, including peaches, lemons, and a pear, alongside sugar cubes. The arrangement is set against a ledge with scattered leaves.
Technique & Style
Kalf employed chiaroscuro, using strong light to make the silver jug glow and a dark background to enhance the colors of the objects. The porcelain bowl's pattern suggests foreign influence.
History & Provenance
The painting is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, having been acquired at the sale of Albertus Jonas Brandt's collection on 29 October 1821.
Artist & collection
Artist
Willem Kalf (1619 – 31 July 1693) was one of the most prominent Dutch still-life painters of the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age.
