DUTCH SCHOOL, 19TH Century
Still Life of Fruit, Nuts and Wine on a Partially Draped Wooden Table
oil on canvas
28 ¾ x 31 ¾ inches (73 x 81 cm.)
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Washington, D.C., 1991 and thus by descent in the family until the present time
When Belgium succeeded from the Netherlands in 1830 an assertive movement began to revive interest in the country’s seventeenth century art in the hope of fostering national identity and a return to what had been perceived as their Golden Age.[1] This painting embodies those ideals.
Our yet to be identified artist has recreated an ensemble of food and fine objects immediately synonymous with those of the seventeenth century. On the left side an orange, peaches, nuts, knife and white bread roll are displayed on a shining pewter tazza. Although odd to modern viewers, white bread rolls repeatably appear in Dutch seventeenth century works often with more exotic fare. This was due to the fact that in contrast to rye or wheat, the production of white flour was further refined and thus more costly.[2] Next to the tazza is a blue and white Wan–li porcelain dish, which could be either Chinese or of Delft origin, holding lemons and peaches. Grapes and apples are on the right edge with a large, lidded Delft jar behind them. The blue decoration on the jar’s white glaze is particularly noteworthy. Two wine glasses, a silver gilt cup, and a lobed and lidded silver jar along with another cluster of grapes complete the background. As depicted oriental carpets in the Netherlands were mainly used on tables or coverings of other pieces of furniture. Exotic, expensive and imported they were not meant for floors.[3]
Veering away from the painting’s prototypes, no vanitas elements have been included, instead as was intended, this is purely a celebration of the period it reflects.
We would like to thank Michael Cohen for his invaluable assistance in the cataloguing of the porcelain in this painting.
[1] Jenny Reynaerts, Mirror of Reality, 19th Century Paintings in the Netherlands, 2019, p. 152.
[2] Henry D. Gregory, ‘Narrative and Meaning in Pieter Claesz’s Still Life” in Pieter Claesz. Master of the Haarlem Still Lifes, Frans Hals Museum, 2005, p. 99.
[3] Ono Ydema, Carpets and their datings in Netherlandish Paintings 1540 – 1700, Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd., 1991, p. 124.