DUTCH SCHOOL, Seventeenth Century
Oysters, a Peeled Lemon, Smoldering Wick, Orange, Cherries, Grapes, Blackberries and a Silver Caster on a Ledge
oil on panel
13 x 10.2 inches (33 x 26 cm.)
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, The Netherlands
A visual feast has been laid before our eyes in which everything is ripe and ready. Water still drips from the oyster shell. Its illumination along with the lemon and orange is dazzling, while the reflection in the Roemer from an unseen light source above, is visible in the glass creating a rhythmic pattern and has turned the wine golden. The tip of the wick burns red hot. It is a heady mix of sensuous flavors and various textures meant to be fully enjoyed, one in which the viewer tends not to look for a deeper meaning as in all likelihood was the painter’s intention.