Pictures of the Dutch artists still lifes. Secret signs of the Dutch still life

Along with landscape painting still life, which was distinguished by an intimate character, was widely spread in Holland in the 17th century. Dutch artists chose a wide variety of objects for their still lifes, they knew how to perfectly compose them, to reveal the features of each object and its inner life, inextricably linked with human life.
Dutch painters of the 17th century Pieter Claesz (circa 1597 - 1661) and Willem Heda (1594-1680/1682) painted numerous variants of "breakfasts", depicting hams, ruddy buns, blackberry pies, fragile glass goblets half-filled with wine, with amazing skillfully conveying the color, volume, texture of each item. The recent presence of man is palpable in the disorder, the accidental arrangement of things that have just served him. But this disorder is only apparent, since the composition of each still life is carefully thought out and found. A discreet greyish-gold, olive tonal range unifies the subjects and gives a special sonority to those pure colors that emphasize the freshness of a freshly cut lemon or the soft silk of a blue ribbon.
Over time, the “breakfasts” of the still life masters, the painters Claes and Heda give way to the “desserts” of the Dutch artists Abraham van Beijeren (1620/1621-1690) and Willem Kalf (1622-1693). Beieren's still lifes are strict in composition, emotionally rich, colorful. Willem Kalf throughout his life painted in a free manner and democratic "kitchens" - pots, vegetables and still lifes, aristocratic in the selection of exquisite precious objects, full of restrained nobility, like silver vessels, goblets, shells saturated with internal burning of colors.
IN further development still life follows the same path as all Dutch art, losing its democracy, its spirituality and poetry, its charm. Still life turns into a decoration of the home of high-ranking customers. With all the decorativeness and skill of execution, late still lifes anticipate the decline of Dutch painting.
Social degeneration, the well-known aristocratization of the Dutch bourgeoisie in the last third of the 17th century, give rise to a tendency towards rapprochement with aesthetic views French nobility, lead to the idealization of artistic images, their refinement. Art is losing ties with the democratic tradition, losing its realistic basis and entering a period of long decline. Strongly exhausted in the wars with England, Holland is losing its position as a great trading power and the largest artistic center.

The work of Frans Hals and the Dutch portrait of the first half of XVII century.

Frans Hals(dutch. Frans Hals, MPA: [ˈfrɑns ˈɦɑls]) (1582/1583, Antwerp - 1666, Haarlem) - an outstanding portrait painter of the so-called golden age of Dutch art.

• 1 Biography
• 2 Interesting Facts
• 3 Gallery
• 4 Notes
• 5 Literature
• 6 Links

Biography

"Family portrait of Isaac Massa and his wife"

Hals was born around 1582-1583 to the Flemish weaver François Frans Hals van Mechelen and his second wife Adriantje. In 1585, after the fall of Antwerp, the Hals family moved to Haarlem, where the artist lived all his life.

In the years 1600-1603, the young artist studied with Karel van Mander, although the influence of this representative of Mannerism is not traced in Hals' subsequent works. In 1610, Hals became a member of the guild of St. Luke and begins working as a restorer at the city municipality.

Hals created the first portrait in 1611, but fame came to Hals after the painting “The Banquet of the Officers of the Rifle Company of St. George" (1616).

In 1617 he married Lisbeth Rainers.

“The early style of Hals is characterized by a predilection for warm tones, a clear modeling of forms with the help of heavy dense strokes. In the 1620s, Hals, along with portraits, painted genre scenes and compositions on religious themes” (“The Evangelist Luke”, “The Evangelist Matthew”, circa 1623-1625)”.

"Gypsy" Louvre, Paris

In the 1620-1630s. Hals painted a number of portraits, which depict representatives of the common people splashing with vital energy (“Jester with a lute”, 1620-1625, “Merry drinking companion”, “Malle Babbe”, “Gypsy”, “Mulatto”, “Boy-fisherman”; all around 1630).

The only portrait in full height is "Portrait of Willem Heithuissen" (1625-1630).

“In the same period, Hals radically reformed the group portrait, breaking with the conventional systems of composition, introducing into the works elements of life situations that provide a direct connection between the picture and the viewer (“Banquet of officers of the rifle company of St. Adrian”, about 1623-27; “Banquet of officers of the rifle company company of St. George", 1627, "Group portrait of the rifle company of St. Adrian", 1633; "Officers of the rifle company of St. George", 1639)." Not wanting to leave Haarlem, Hals refused orders if this required going to Amsterdam. The only group portrait he started in Amsterdam had to be finished by another artist.

In the years 1620-1640, the time of the highest popularity, Hals painted many double portraits couples: the husband is on the left portrait, and the wife is on the right. The only picture where the spouses are depicted together is "Family portrait of Isaac Massa and his wife" (1622).

"The Regents of the Nursing Home"

In 1644 Hals became president of the Guild of St. Luke. In 1649 he completed a portrait of Descartes.

“Psychological characteristics deepen in the portraits of the 1640s. (“Regents of the Hospital of St. Elizabeth”, 1641, portrait of a young man, circa 1642-50, “Jasper Schade van Westrum”, circa 1645); in the coloring of these works, a silver-gray tone begins to predominate. Later works Khalsa are executed in a very free manner and solved in a stingy color scheme, built on contrasts of black and white tones (“Man in black clothes", about 1650-52," W. Cruz", about 1660); in some of them a feeling of deep pessimism was manifested ("Regents of the Asylum", "Regents of the Asylum", both - 1664)."

“In old age, Hals stopped receiving orders and fell into poverty. The artist died in the Haarlem almshouse on August 26, 1666.

The largest collection of paintings by the artist is in the Hals Museum in Haarlem.

The founder of the Dutch realistic portrait was Frans Hals (Hals) (circa 1580-1666), whose artistic heritage, with its sharpness and power of embracing the inner world of a person, goes far beyond the national Dutch culture. An artist with a broad outlook, a bold innovator, he destroyed the canons of the estate (noble) portrait of the 16th century that had developed before him. He was not interested in a person depicted according to his social position in a majestic-solemn pose and a ceremonial costume, but a person in all his natural essence, characteristic, with his feelings, intellect, emotions. In the portraits of Hals, all sectors of society are represented: burghers, shooters, artisans, representatives of the lower classes of society, on the side of the latter, his special sympathies, and in their images he showed the depth of a powerful full-blooded talent. The democratism of his art is due to links with the traditions of the era of the Dutch revolution. Hals portrayed his heroes without embellishment, with their unceremonious manners, powerful love of life. Hals expanded the scope of the portrait with the introduction plot elements, capturing those portrayed in action, in concrete life situation, emphasizing facial expressions, gesture, posture, instantly and accurately grasped. The artist sought the emotional strength and vitality of the characteristics of the portrayed, the transfer of their irrepressible energy. Hals not only reformed individual commissioned and group portraits, but was the creator of a portrait that bordered on the everyday genre.
Hals was born in Antwerp, then moved to Haarlem, where he lived all his life. He was a cheerful, sociable person, kind and carefree. The creative face of Khals was formed by the beginning of the 20s of the 17th century. Widespread popularity gained him group portraits of officers of the rifle company of St. George (1627, Harlem, Frans Hals Museum), and the rifle company of St. Adrian (1633, ibid.). Strong, energetic people who took an active part in the liberation struggle against the Spanish conquerors are presented during the feast. Cheerful, with a touch of humor, the mood unites officers of different characters and manners. There is no main character here. All those present are equal participants in the celebration. Hals overcame the purely external connection of the characters, characteristic of the portraits of his predecessors. The unity of the asymmetric composition is achieved through lively communication, unconstrained freedom of arrangement of figures united by a wave-like rhythm.
With brilliance and strength, the artist's energetic brush sculpts volumes of forms. streams sunlight glide over faces, sparkle in lace and silk, sparkle in glasses. The colorful range, which is dominated by black suits and white collars, is enlivened by sonorous golden-yellow, lilac, blue and pink officer's baldrics. Full of consciousness of their own dignity and at the same time freely, naturally, gesticulating, the Dutch burghers from the portraits of Hals appear, conveying an instantly seized state. Arms on hips, an officer in a wide-brimmed hat smiles fervently (1624, London, Wallace collection). The naturalness and liveliness of the pose, the sharpness of the characteristics, the highest skill in using the contrast of white and black in painting conquer.
Hals' portraits are diverse in themes and images. But the portrayed are united common features: integrity of nature, love of life. Hals is a painter of laughter, a cheerful, contagious smile. With sparkling joy, the artist enlivens the faces of representatives of the common people, visitors to taverns, and street boys. His characters do not close in on themselves, they turn their gazes and gestures towards the viewer.
Freedom-loving breath is fanned by the image of the "Gypsy" (circa 1630, Paris, Louvre). Hals admires the proud landing of her head in a halo of fluffy hair, a seductive smile, a perky sparkle in her eyes, an expression of independence. The vibrating outline of the silhouette, the gliding rays of light, the running clouds, against which the gypsy is depicted, fill the image with the thrill of life. The portrait of Malle Babbe (beginning of the 1630s, Berlin-Dahlem, Art Gallery), the owner of the tavern, not accidentally nicknamed the "Harlem witch", develops into a small genre scene. An ugly old woman with a burning sly look, turning around sharply and grinning widely, as if answering one of the regulars of her tavern. An ominous owl looms in a gloomy silhouette on her shoulder. The sharpness, visions of the artist, the gloomy strength and vitality of the image he created are striking. The asymmetry of the composition, the dynamics, the juiciness of the angular brushstroke enhance the anxiety of the scene.
By the middle of the 17th century, the shifts that had taken place in Dutch society were clearly indicated; as the position of the bourgeoisie, which has lost contact with the masses, strengthens in it, it becomes more and more conservative. The attitude of bourgeois customers towards realist artists has changed. Hals also lost its popularity, whose democratic art became alien to the reborn bourgeoisie, rushing after aristocratic fashion.
The life-affirming optimism of the master was replaced by deep reflection, irony, bitterness, skepticism. His realism became more psychologically profound and critical, his skill more refined and perfect. The coloring of Hals also changed, gaining more restraint; in the prevailing silver-gray, cold tonal range, among black and white, small, precisely found spots of pinkish or red color acquire special sonority. The feeling of bitterness, disappointment is palpable in the “Portrait of a Man in Black Clothes” (circa 1660, St. Petersburg, Hermitage), in which the finest colorful shades of the face are enriched and come to life next to restrained, almost monochrome black and white tones.
The highest achievement of Hals is his last group portraits of the regents and regents (trustees) of the nursing home, executed in 1664, two years before the death of the artist, who ended his life alone in the shelter. Full of vanity, cold and devastated, power-hungry and swaggering, sitting at the table of the old trustee from the group “Portrait of the Regents of the Asylum for the Elderly” (Harlem, Frans Hals Museum. The old artist’s hand unmistakably accurately applies free, swift strokes. The composition has become calm and strict. The sparseness of space , arrangement of figures, even scattered light, equally illuminating all those depicted, contribute to focusing on the characteristics of each of them. Laconic colors with a predominance of black, white and gray tones. Late portraits of Hals stand next to the most remarkable creations of the world portrait painting: their psychologism is close to the portraits of the greatest of the Dutch painters - Rembrandt, who, like Hals, survived his lifetime glory, having come into conflict with the bourgeois elite of Dutch society.

Frans Hals was born around 1581 in Antwerp to a weaver's family. In his youth, he came to Haarlem, where he lived almost without a break until his death (in 1616 he visited Antwerp, and in the mid-1630s - Amsterdam). Little is known about Hals' life. In 1610 he entered the Guild of St. Luke, and in 1616 - in the chamber of orators (amateur actors). Very quickly Hals became one of the most famous portrait painters Harlem.
In the XV-XVI centuries. in the painting of the Netherlands there was a tradition to paint portraits only of representatives of the ruling circles, famous people and artists. The art of Khals is deeply democratic: in his portraits we can see an aristocrat, a wealthy citizen, an artisan and even a person from the very bottom. The artist does not try to idealize the depicted, the main thing for him is their naturalness and originality. His nobles behave as uninhibited as the representatives of the lower strata of society, who are depicted in the paintings of Hals as cheerful people, not devoid of self-esteem.
A large place in the painter's work is occupied by a group portrait. The best works portraits of officers of the rifle company of St. George (1627) and the rifle company of St. Adrian (1633) became this genre. Each character in the paintings has its own bright personality, and at the same time, these works are distinguished by their integrity.
Hals also painted custom-made portraits, in which wealthy burghers and their families are placed in relaxed poses (“Portrait of Isaac Massa”, 1626; “Portrait of Hethuisen”, 1637). The images of Hals are lively and dynamic, it seems that the people in the portraits are talking to an invisible interlocutor or are addressing the viewer.
Representatives of the folk environment in the portraits of Hals are distinguished by vivid expressiveness and immediacy. In the images of street boys, fishermen, musicians, and visitors to taverns, one can feel the sympathy and respect of the author. His "Gypsy" is remarkable. A smiling young woman seems surprisingly alive, whose sly look is directed at an interlocutor invisible to the audience. Hals does not idealize his model, but the image of a cheerful, disheveled gypsy delights with her perky charm.
Very often Hals' portraits include elements of the genre scene. These are the images of children singing or playing musical instruments ("Singing Boys", 1624-1625). In the same spirit, the famous “Malle Babbe” (early 1630s) was performed, presenting the well-known owner of the tavern in Haarlem, whom visitors called the Haarlem witch behind her back. The artist almost grotesquely depicted a woman with a huge beer mug and an owl on her shoulder.
In the 1640s The country is showing signs of a turning point. Only a few decades have passed since the victory of the revolution, and the bourgeoisie has already ceased to be a progressive class based on democratic traditions. The veracity of Hals' painting no longer attracts rich clients who want to see themselves in portraits better than they really are. But Hals did not abandon realism, and his popularity plummeted. Notes of sadness and disappointment appear in the painting of this period (“Portrait of a man in a wide-brimmed hat”). His palette becomes stricter and calmer.
At the age of 84, Hals creates two of his masterpieces: group portraits of regents (trustees) and regents of a nursing home (1664). These last works Dutch masters are distinguished by their emotionality and bright individuality of images. From the images of the regents - old men and women - it breathes sadness and death. This feeling is also emphasized by the coloring, sustained in black, gray and white tones.
Hals died in 1666 in deep poverty. His truthful, life-affirming art had a great influence on many Dutch artists.

Painting by Rembrandt.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn(dutch. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn[ˈrɛmbrɑnt ˈɦɑrmə (n) soːn vɑn ˈrɛin], 1606-1669) - Dutch artist, draftsman and engraver, great master of chiaroscuro, the largest representative of the golden age of Dutch painting. He managed to embody in his works the whole range of human experiences with such emotional richness, which fine art did not know before him. The works of Rembrandt, extremely diverse in genre affiliation, open the viewer timeless spiritual world human experiences and feelings.

• 1 Biography
• 1.1 Years of apprenticeship
• 1.2 Influence of Lastman and the caravagists
• 1.3 Workshop in Leiden
• 1.4 Generation own style
• 1.5 Success in Amsterdam
• 1.6 Dialogue with Italians
• 1.7 Night Watch
• 1.8 Transition period
• 1.9 Late Rembrandt
• 1.10 Recent work
• 2 Attribution issues
• 3 Rembrandt's students
• 4 Posthumous fame
• 5 At the movies
• 6 Notes
• 7 Links

Biography

Years of apprenticeship

Rembrandt Harmenszoon ("son of Harmen") van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606 (according to some sources, in 1607) in a large family of a wealthy mill owner Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn in Leiden. Mother's family remained faithful even after the Dutch Revolution Catholic religion.

"Allegory of Music" of 1626 - an example of Lastman's influence on the young Rembrandt

In Leiden, Rembrandt attended the Latin school at the university, but showed the greatest interest in painting. At the age of 13, he was sent to study fine art at the Leiden historical painter Jacob van Swanenbürch, a Catholic by faith. Rembrandt's works of this period have not been identified by researchers, and the question of the influence of Swanenbürch on the formation of his creative manner remains open: too little is known today about this Leiden artist.

In 1623, Rembrandt studied in Amsterdam with Pieter Lastman, who had trained in Italy and specialized in historical, mythological and biblical stories. Returning to Leiden in 1627, Rembrandt, together with his friend Jan Lievens, opened his own workshop and began to recruit students. Within a few years, he gained considerable fame.

Jean Calvin Jean Calvin(1509-1564) - church reformer and founder of one of the currents of pro-testantism. The basis of the Calvinist Church is the so-called congregations - autonomous communities administered by a pastor, a deacon, and elders chosen from among the laity. Calvinism was very popular in the Netherlands in the 16th century. taught that everyday things have a hidden meaning, and behind every image there should be a moral lesson. The objects depicted in the still life are ambiguous: they were endowed with edifying, religious or other overtones. For example, oysters were considered an erotic symbol, and this was obvious to contemporaries: oysters allegedly stimulated sexual potency, and Venus, the goddess of love, was born from a shell of guilt. On the one hand, oysters hinted at worldly temptations, on the other hand, an open shell meant a soul ready to leave the body, that is, it promised salvation. Of course, there were no strict rules on how to read a still life, and the viewer guessed exactly those symbols on the canvas that he wanted to see. In addition, we must not forget that each object was part of the composition and could be read in different ways - depending on the context and the overall message of the still life.

flower still life

Until the 18th century, a bouquet of flowers, as a rule, symbolized frailty, because earthly joys are as transient as the beauty of a flower. The symbolism of plants is especially complex and ambiguous, and popular in Europe XVI-XVII centuries of the book of emblems, where allegorical illustrations and mottos were accompanied by explanatory texts. flower arrangements it was not easy to interpret: the same flower had many meanings, sometimes directly opposite. For example, the narcissus indicated self-love and at the same time was considered a symbol of the Mother of God. In still lifes, as a rule, both meanings of the image were preserved, and the viewer was free to choose one of the two meanings or combine them.

Flower compositions were often supplemented with fruits, small objects, images of animals. These images expressed the main idea of ​​the work, emphasizing the motive of transience, withering, the sinfulness of everything earthly and the imperishability of virtue.

Pictured by Jan Davidsz de Heem Jan Davids de Heem(1606-1684) Dutch painter known for his flower still lifes. at the base of the vase, the artist depicted symbols of frailty: wilted and broken flowers, crumbling petals and dried pea pods. Here is a snail - it is associated with the soul of a sinner Among other such negative images are reptiles and amphibians (lizards, frogs), as well as caterpillars, mice, flies and other animals crawling on the ground or living in mud.. In the center of the bouquet we see symbols of modesty and purity: wild flowers, violets and forget-me-nots. They are surrounded by tulips, symbolizing fading beauty and senseless waste (cultivation of tulips was considered one of the most vain occupations in Holland and also not cheap); lush roses and poppies, reminiscent of the fragility of life. The composition is crowned by two large flowers that have a positive meaning. The blue iris represents the remission of sins and indicates the possibility of salvation through virtue. The red poppy, which was traditionally associated with sleep and death, has changed its interpretation due to its location in the bouquet: here it stands for the atoning sacrifice of Christ Even in the Middle Ages, it was believed that poppy flowers grew on the ground irrigated with the blood of Christ.. Other symbols of salvation are spikelets of bread, and a butterfly sitting on a stem represents an immortal soul.

Painting by Jan Bauman Jan (Jean-Jacques) Bauman(1601-1653) - painter, master of still life. Lived and worked in Germany and the Netherlands."Flowers, fruits and a monkey" - good example semantic layering and ambiguity of a still life and objects on it. At first glance, the combination of plants and animals seems random. In fact, this still life also reminds of the transience of life and the sinfulness of earthly existence. Each depicted object conveys a certain idea: the snail and lizard in this case indicate the mortality of everything earthly; a tulip lying near a bowl of fruits symbolizes rapid withering; shells scattered on the table hint at a waste of money In Holland in the 17th century, it was very popular to collect all sorts of "curiosities", including shells.; and a monkey with a peach indicates original sin and depravity. On the other hand, a fluttering butterfly and fruits: bunches of grapes, apples, peaches and pears - speak of the immortality of the soul and the atoning sacrifice of Christ. On another, allegorical level, the fruits, fruits, flowers and animals presented in the picture represent the four elements: shells and snails - water; butterfly - air; fruits and flowers - the earth; monkey is fire.

Still life in a butcher's shop

The image of a butcher shop has traditionally been associated with the idea physical life, the personification of the elements of the earth, as well as with gluttony. In a painting by Peter Aartsen Peter Aartsen ( 1508-1575) was a Dutch painter, also known as Pieter Long. Among his works are genre scenes based on gospel stories, as well as images of markets and shops. almost the entire space is occupied by a table bursting with food. We see many types of meat: killed poultry and butchered carcasses, liver and ham, hams and sausages. These images symbolize immoderation, gluttony and attachment to carnal pleasures. Now let's turn our attention to the background. On the left side of the picture in the window opening is placed the gospel scene of the flight to Egypt, which contrasts sharply with the still life in the foreground. The Virgin Mary hands out the last piece of bread to a poor girl. Note that the window is located above the dish, where two fish lie crosswise (a symbol of the crucifixion) - a symbol of Christianity and Christ. On the right in the depth is a tavern. A cheerful company sits at a table by the fire, drinks and eats oysters, which, as we remember, are associated with lust. A butchered carcass hangs next to the table, indicating the inevitability of death and the transience of earthly joys. A butcher in a red shirt dilutes wine with water. This scene echoes the main idea of ​​the still life and refers to the Parable of prodigal son Recall that there are several plots in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. One of them tells about the youngest son, who, having received an estate from his father, sold everything and spent money on a dissolute life.. The scene in the tavern, as well as the butcher shop full of food, speaks of an idle, dissolute life, attachment to earthly pleasures, pleasant for the body, but destructive for the soul. In the scene of the flight to Egypt, the characters are practically turned back to the viewer: they move deeper into the picture, away from the butcher shop. This is a metaphor for an escape from a dissolute life full of sensual joys. Giving them up is one way to save your soul.

Still life in a fish shop

Fish still life is an allegory of the water element. Such works, like butcher shops, were often part of the so-called cycle of the first elements. In Western Europe, large painting cycles were common, consisting of several paintings and, as a rule, hanging in one room. For example, the cycle of the seasons (where summer, autumn, winter and spring were depicted with the help of allegories) or the cycle of the elements (fire, water, earth and air). and, as a rule, were created to decorate the palace dining rooms. Paintings by Frans Snyders in the foreground Frans Snyders(1579-1657) - Flemish painter, author of still lifes and baroque animalistic compositions."Fish Shop" depicts a lot of fish. There are perches and sturgeons, crucian carp, catfish, salmon and other seafood. Some have already been cut, some are waiting for their turn. These images of fish do not carry any subtext - they sing of the wealth of Flanders.

Next to the boy, we see a basket with gifts that he received for St. Nicholas Day In Catholicism, Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th. On this holiday, as on Christmas, children are given gifts.. This is indicated by wooden red shoes tied to the basket. In addition to sweets, fruits and nuts, there are rods in the basket - as a hint of “carrot and stick” upbringing. The content of the basket speaks of the joys and sorrows of human life, which constantly replace each other. The woman explains to the child that obedient children receive gifts, while bad children receive punishment. The boy recoiled in horror: he thought that instead of sweets he would receive blows with rods. On the right we see a window opening in which you can see the city square. A group of children stand under the windows and joyfully greet the puppet jester on the balcony. The jester is an essential attribute of folk festivities.

Still life with a set table

In numerous variations of table setting on the canvases of Dutch masters, we see bread and pies, nuts and lemons, sausages and hams, lobsters and crayfish, dishes with oysters, fish or empty shells. You can understand these still lifes depending on the set of objects.

In a painting by Gerrit Willems Heda Gerrit Willems Heda(1620-1702) still life painter and son of painter Willem Klas Heda. we see a dish, a jug, a tall glass goblet and an overturned vase, a mustard pot, a ham, a crumpled napkin and a lemon. This is Kheda's traditional and favorite set. The location of the items and their choice are not random. Silver utensils symbolize earthly riches and their futility, ham - carnal pleasures, attractive in appearance and sour inside lemon represents betrayal. An extinguished candle indicates frailty and transience. human existence, mess on the table - to destruction. A tall glass “flute” (in the 17th century such glasses were used as a measuring container with marks) is fragile, like human life, and at the same time symbolizes moderation and a person’s ability to control his impulses. In general, in this still life, as in many other "breakfasts", with the help of objects, the theme of the vanity of vanities and the meaninglessness of earthly pleasures is played up.

Most of the objects depicted in a still life by Pieter Claesz Peter Klas(1596-1661) - Dutch painter, author of many still lifes. Along with Kheda, he is considered the founder of the Harlem school of still life with its geometric monochrome paintings. are erotic symbols. Oysters, pipe, wine refer to short and dubious carnal pleasures. But this is just one version of reading a still life. Let's look at these images from a different angle. So, shells are symbols of the frailty of the flesh; a pipe, with the help of which not only smoked, but also blew soap bubbles, is a symbol of the suddenness of death. Claes's contemporary, the Dutch poet Willem Godschalk van Fockenborch, in the poem "My hope is smoke" wrote:

As you can see, being is akin to smoking a pipe,
And what is the difference - I really do not know:
One is just a breeze, the other is just smoke. Per. Evgeny Vitkovsky

The theme of the transience of human existence is opposed to the immortality of the soul, and the signs of frailty suddenly turn out to be symbols of salvation. The bread and glass of wine in the background are associated with the body and blood of Jesus and indicate the sacrament of the sacrament. Herring - another symbol of Christ - reminds us of fasting and fasting food. And open shells with oysters can change their negative meaning to the exact opposite, denoting the human soul, separated from the body and ready to enter into eternal life.

Different levels of interpretation of objects unobtrusively tell the viewer that a person is always free to choose between the spiritual and the eternal and the earthly transient.

Vanitas, or "Scientist" still life

The genre of the so-called "learned" still life was called vanitas - in Latin it means "vanity of vanities", in other words - "memento mori" ("remember death"). This is the most intellectual type of still life, an allegory of the eternity of art, the frailty of earthly glory and human life.

Sword and helmet with a luxurious plume in a painting by Jurian van Streck Jurian van Streck(1632-1687) - Amsterdam-based painter, known for his still lifes and portraits. indicate the transience of earthly glory. The hunting horn symbolizes riches that cannot be taken with you to another life. In the "scientific" still lifes, there are often images of open books or carelessly lying papers with inscriptions. They not only invite you to think about the objects depicted, but also allow you to use them for their intended purpose: read open pages or perform what is written in music notebook music. Van Streck sketched a boy's head and open book: This is the tragedy of Sophocles "Electra", translated into Dutch. These images indicate that art is eternal. But the pages of the book are folded, and the drawing is dented. These are signs of the beginning of damage, hinting that even art will not be useful after death. The skull also speaks of the inevitability of death, but the ear of bread wrapping around it symbolizes the hope for the resurrection and eternal life. By the middle of the 17th century, a skull entwined with an ear of bread or evergreen ivy would become an obligatory subject for depiction in still lifes in the vanitas style.

Sources

• Vipper B.R. The problem and development of still life.
• Zvezdina Yu. N. Emblematics in the world of ancient still life. To the problem of reading the symbol.
• Tarasov Yu. A. Dutch still life of the 17th century.
• Shcherbacheva M. I. Still life in Dutch painting.
• Visible image and hidden meaning. Allegories and emblems in the painting of Flanders and Holland in the second half of the 16th - 17th centuries. Exhibition catalogue. Pushkin Museum im. A. S. Pushkin.

An amazing phenomenon in the history of world fine arts took place in Northern Europe XVII century. It is known as the Dutch still life and is considered one of the pinnacles of oil painting.

Connoisseurs and professionals have firm conviction that such a number of magnificent masters who possessed the highest technique and created so many world-class masterpieces, while living on a small patch of the European continent, have never been seen in the history of art.

The new meaning of the artist's profession

The special importance that the profession of an artist in Holland acquired from the beginning of the 17th century was the result of the emergence after the first anti-feudal revolutions of the beginnings of a new bourgeois system, the formation of a class of urban burghers and wealthy peasants. For painters, these were potential customers who shaped the fashion for works of art, making the Dutch still life a sought-after commodity in the emerging market.

IN northern lands In the Netherlands, the reformist trends of Christianity, which arose in the struggle against Catholicism, became the most influential ideology. This circumstance, among others, made the Dutch still life the main genre for entire art workshops. The spiritual leaders of Protestantism, in particular the Calvinists, denied the soul-saving value of sculpture and painting on religious subjects, they even expelled music from the church, which forced painters to look for new subjects.

In neighboring Flanders, which remained under the influence of the Catholics, fine arts developed according to other laws, but the territorial neighborhood led to the inevitable mutual influence. Scientists - art historians - find a lot of things that unite the Dutch and Flemish still life, noting their inherent cardinal differences and unique features.

Early flower still life

The "pure" genre of still life, which appeared in the 17th century, in Holland takes special forms and symbolic name quiet life» - stilleven. In many ways, the Dutch still life became a reflection violent activity The East India Company, which brought luxury goods from the East that had not been seen before in Europe. From Persia, the company brought the first tulips, which later became the symbol of Holland, and it was the flowers depicted in the paintings that became the most popular decoration for residential buildings, numerous offices, shops and banks.

The purpose of the masterly painted flower arrangements was diverse. Decorating houses and offices, they emphasized the well-being of their owners, and for sellers of flower seedlings, tulip bulbs, they were what is now called a visual advertising product: posters and booklets. Therefore, the Dutch still life with flowers is, first of all, a botanically accurate depiction of flowers and fruits, at the same time filled with many symbols and allegories. These are the best canvases of entire workshops, headed by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, Jakob de Hein the Younger, Jan Baptist van Fornenburg, Jacob Wouters Vosmar and others.

Laid tables and breakfasts

Painting in Holland in the 17th century could not avoid the influence of new social relations and the development of the economy. 17th century Dutch still life profitable commodity, and large workshops were organized for the "production" of paintings. In addition to painters, among whom strict specialization and division of labor appeared, those who prepared the basis for paintings - boards or canvas, primed, made frames, etc. worked there. Fierce competition, as in any market relations, led to an increase in the quality of still lifes very high level.

The genre specialization of artists also assumed a geographical character. Flower compositions were painted in many Dutch cities - Utrecht, Delft, The Hague, but it was Haarlem that became the center for the development of still lifes depicting set tables, food and ready meals. Such canvases can be varied in scale and character, from complex and multi-subject to concise. "Breakfasts" appeared - still lifes by Dutch artists depicting different stages meals. They depict the presence of a person in the form of crumbs, bitten buns, etc. They told interesting stories filled with allusions and moralizing symbols common to paintings of that time. Paintings by Nicholas Gillis, Floris Gerrits van Schoten, Clara Peters, Hans Van Essen, Rulof Koots and others are considered especially significant.

Tonal still life. Pieter Claesz and Willem Claesz Heda

For contemporaries, the symbols with which the traditional Dutch still life is saturated were relevant and understandable. The paintings were similar in content to multi-page books and were especially appreciated for this. But there is a concept that is no less impressive for both modern connoisseurs and art lovers. It is called "tonal still life", and the main thing in it is the highest technical skill, surprisingly refined coloring, amazing skill in conveying the subtle nuances of lighting.

These qualities are in every way consistent with the canvases of two leading masters, whose paintings are considered to be the best examples of tonal still life: Pieter Claesz and Willem Claesz Head. They chose compositions from a small number of objects devoid of bright colors and special decorative effect, which did not prevent them from creating things of amazing beauty and expressiveness, the value of which does not decrease with time.

Vanity

The theme of the transience of life, equality before death of both the king and the beggar, was very popular in the literature and philosophy of that transitional period. And in painting, she found expression in paintings depicting scenes, the main element of which was the skull. This genre was called vanitas - from the Latin "vanity of vanities." The popularity of still lifes, similar to philosophical treatises, was promoted by the development of science and education, the center of which was the university in Leiden, famous throughout Europe.

Vanitas occupies a serious place in the work of many Dutch masters of that time: Jacob de Gein the Younger, David Gein, Harmen Stenwijk and others. the most important questions of life.

Faux-paintings

Paintings have been the most popular decoration of the Dutch interior since the late Middle Ages, which the growing population of cities could afford. To interest buyers, the artists resorted to various tricks. If skill allowed, they created “tricks”, or “trompe-l'oeil”, from the French trompe-l "oeil - an optical illusion. The point was that a typical Dutch still life is flowers and fruits, a broken bird and fish, or objects related to science - books, optical instruments, etc. - contained a complete illusion of reality.A book that has moved out of the space of the picture and is about to fall, a fly that has landed on a vase that you want to slam are typical plots for a fake painting.

The paintings of the leading masters of still life in the style of "tromple" - Gerard Dou, Samuel van Hoogstraten and others - often depict a niche recessed into the wall with shelves on which there are a lot of different things. The artist's technical skill in conveying textures and surfaces, light and shadow was so great that the hand itself reached for a book or a glass.

Bloom time and sunset time

By the middle of the 17th century, the main varieties of still life in the paintings of the Dutch masters reached their peak. The “luxurious” still life is becoming popular, because the wealth of the burghers is growing and rich dishes, precious fabrics and food abundance do not look alien in the interior of a city house or a rich rural estate.

The paintings increase in size, they amaze with the number of different textures. At the same time, the authors are looking for ways to increase entertainment for the viewer. To do this, the traditional Dutch still life - with fruits and flowers, hunting trophies and dishes of various materials - is complemented by exotic insects or small animals and birds. In addition to creating the usual allegorical associations, the artist often introduced them simply for positive emotions, to increase the commercial appeal of the plot.

The masters of the "luxurious still life" - Jan van Huysum, Jan Davids de Heem, Francois Reykhals, Willem Kalf - became the harbingers of the coming time, when increased decorativeness became important, creating an impressive impression.

End of the golden age

Priorities and fashion changed, the influence of religious dogma on the choice of subjects for painters gradually faded into the past, the very concept of the golden age that Dutch painting knew was receding into the past. Still lifes entered the history of this era as one of the most important and impressive pages.

Dutch artists have achieved great achievements in the creation of art realistic direction, natural depicting reality, precisely because - that such art was in demand in Dutch society.

For Dutch artists in art, easel painting was important. The canvases of the Dutch of this time do not have such dimensions as the works of Rubens, and they decide preferably not monumentally. decorative tasks, customers from the Dutch painters were the envoys of the ruling leadership of the organization, but also the second class - burghers, artisans.

One of the main tasks of the Dutch painters was man and the environment. The main place in the painting of Holland was the everyday genre and portrait, landscape and still life. The better the painters portrayed the natural world impartially, deeply, the more significant and demanding were their plots of the work.

Dutch painters performed works for sale, traded their paintings at fairs. Their works were bought mainly by people from the upper strata of society - rich peasants, artisans, merchants, and owners of manufactories. Ordinary people could not afford it, and looked at and admired the paintings with pleasure. General location of art in its prime XVII century deprived of such powerful consumers as the court, the nobility and the church.

Works were performed in a small format, counting on the modest and not large furnishings of Dutch houses. One of the favorite occupations of the Dutch was easel painting, as it was receptive with great certainty and in a variety of ways to reflect the reality of actions. In the paintings of the Dutch, the reality of their country is close to them; they wanted to see what they are very familiar with - the sea and ships, the nature of their land, their home, the action of life, the things that surrounded them everywhere.

One important drive to study environment appeared in Dutch painting in such natural forms and with such clear continuity as nowhere else in Dutch art of these times. In this regard, the depth of its scale is also connected: portraits and landscapes, still lifes and everyday genre were formed in it. A few of them are still life, everyday painting, it was the first that took shape in Holland in mature forms and received such a flourishing that they became the only example of this genre.

In the first two decades, the main mood of the search for the main Dutch artists, which opposes the correct artistic trends, is clearly manifested - an attraction to the correct reproduction of reality, to the accuracy of its expression. Not by coincidence, the artists of Holland were lured art by Caravaggio. The work of the so-called Utrecht caravagists - G. Honthorst, H. Terbruggen, D. Van Baburen - showed an impact on Dutch artistic culture.

Dutch painters in the 20s and 30s of the 17th century created main view a suitable finely figured painting, which depicts scenes from the life of ordinary peasants and their everyday activities. In the 1940s and 1950s, everyday painting was one of the main genres, the authors of which in history acquired the name "Little Dutch" either for the artlessness of the plot, or because of the small size of the paintings, or maybe for both. Features of good-natured humor fanned the images of peasants in the paintings Adriana van Ostade. A democratic everyday writer, an entertaining storyteller was Jan Steen.

One of the major portrait painters of Holland, the founder of the Dutch realistic portrait was Franz Hals. He made his own glory group portraits shooting guilds, in which he expressed the ideals of the young republic, a sense of freedom, equality, camaraderie.

The pinnacle of Dutch realism is Harmens van Rijn Rembrandt, distinguished by extraordinary vitality and emotionality, deep humanity of images, great thematic breadth. He painted historical, biblical, mythological and everyday paintings, portraits and landscapes, was one of the greatest masters of etching and drawing. But in whatever technique he worked, the focus of his attention was always a person, his inner world. He often found his heroes among the Dutch poor. In his works, Rembrandt combined strength and penetration psychological characteristics with exceptional mastery of painting, in which the most important are the accurate tones of chiaroscuro.

During the first third of the 17th century, the views of the Dutch realistic landscape arose, which flourished in the middle of the century. The landscape of the Dutch masters is not nature in general, as in the paintings of the classicists, but the national, namely the Dutch landscape: windmills, desert dunes, canals with boats sliding along them in summer and with skaters in winter. Artists sought to convey the atmosphere of the season, humid air and space.

The still life acquires a bright development in the painting of the Dutch, it differs in its small size in character. Peter Klas And Willem Kheda most often they depicted the so-called breakfasts: dishes with a ham or a pie on a relatively modestly served table. The recent presence of man is palpable in the disorder, the naturalness with which the things that have just served him are arranged. But this disorder is only apparent, since the composition of each still life is carefully thought out. In a skillful arrangement, objects are shown in such a way that one feels as if the inner life of things, it was not for nothing that the Dutch called the still life "still leven" - "quiet life", and not "nature morte" - "dead nature".

Still life. Pieter Claesz and Willem Heda

Subtlety, truthfulness in recreating reality is combined in the Dutch masters with a keen sense of beauty, revealed in any of its phenomena, even the most inconspicuous and everyday. This feature of the Dutch artistic genius manifested itself, perhaps most clearly, in the still life; it is no coincidence that this genre was a favorite in Holland.

The Dutch called still life “stilleven”, which means “quiet life”, and this word expresses the meaning that Dutch painters put into the image of things incomparably more accurately than “nature morte” - dead nature. IN inanimate objects they saw a special, hidden life connected with the life of a person, with his way of life, habits, tastes. Dutch painters created the impression of a natural "disorder" in the arrangement of things: they showed a cut cake, a peeled lemon with a peel hanging in a spiral, an unfinished glass of wine, a burning candle, an open book - it always seems that someone touched these objects, just used them , the invisible presence of a person is always felt.

The leading masters of the Dutch still life in the first half of the 17th century were Pieter Klas (1597/98-1661) and Willem Heda (1594-c. 1680). The favorite theme of their still lifes is the so-called "breakfasts". In "Breakfast with Lobster" by V. Kheda, the objects of the various shapes and material - a coffee pot, a glass, a lemon, a faience dish, a silver plate, etc. - are compared with each other in such a way as to reveal the features and attractiveness of each. With a variety of techniques, Kheda perfectly conveys the material and the specifics of their texture; Thus, glare of light plays differently on the surface of glass and metal: on glass - light, with sharp outlines, on metal - pale, matte, on a gilded glass - shining, bright. All elements of the composition are united by light and color - a grayish-green color scheme.

In "Still Life with a Candle" by P. Klass, not only the accuracy of reproduction of the material qualities of objects is remarkable - the composition and lighting give them great emotional expressiveness.

The still lifes of Klass and Kheda are filled with a special mood that brings them together - this is a mood of intimacy and comfort, giving rise to an idea of ​​​​a well-established and calm life of a burgher's house, where prosperity reigns and where care is felt in everything human hands and attentive master's eyes. Dutch painters affirm the aesthetic value of things, and the still life, as it were, indirectly sings of the life with which their existence is inextricably linked. Therefore, it can be considered as one of the artistic embodiments of an important theme of Dutch art - the theme of the life of a private person. She received her main decision in genre painting.[&&] Rotenberg I. E. Western European art 17th century Moscow, 1971;

In the second half of the 17th century, changes were taking place in Dutch society: the desire of the bourgeoisie for aristocratization was growing. Modest "Breakfasts" by Klas and Kheda give way to rich "desserts" Abraham van Beyern And Willem Kalf, which included spectacular faience dishes, silver vessels, precious goblets and shells in still lifes. Getting harder compositional constructions, more decorative - paints. In the future, the still life loses its democracy, intimacy, its spirituality and poetry. It turns into a magnificent decoration of the home of high-ranking customers. With all the decorativeness and skill of execution, late still lifes anticipate the decline of the great Dutch realistic painting, which came at the beginning of the 18th century and was caused by the social degeneration of the Dutch bourgeoisie in the last third of the 17th century, the spread of new trends in art associated with the bourgeoisie's attraction to the tastes of the French nobility. Dutch art is losing ties with the democratic tradition, losing its realistic basis, losing its national identity and entering a period of long decline.

Still life ("Stilleven" - which in Dutch means "quiet life") - is a peculiar and quite popular branch of Dutch painting. The Dutch still life of the 17th century is characterized by the narrow specialization of the Dutch masters within the genre. The theme "Flowers and Fruits" includes, as a rule, a variety of insects. "Hunting trophies" are, first of all, hunting trophies - dead birds and game. "Breakfasts" and "Desserts", as well as images of fish - alive and asleep, various birds - are only a part of the most famous topics still lifes. In their totality, these individual plots characterize the close interest of the Dutch in the plots Everyday life, and their favorite pastimes, and passion for the exotic of distant lands (there are outlandish shells and fruits in the compositions). Often in works with motifs of "living" and "dead" nature, a symbolic subtext is laid, which is easily understandable to an educated spectator of the 17th century.

Thus, the combination of individual objects could serve as a hint at the frailty of earthly existence: withering roses, an incense burner, a candle, a watch; or associated with morally condemned habits: torches, smoking pipes; or indicated a love affair; writing, musical instruments, brazier. There is no doubt that the meaning of these compositions is much wider than their symbolic content.

Dutch still lifes attract, first of all, with their artistic expressiveness, completeness, and the ability to reveal spiritual life. objective world. Preferring large-sized paintings with an abundance of all kinds of objects, the painters of Holland are limited to a few objects of contemplation, striving for the ultimate compositional and color unity.

Still life is one of the genres in which the Dutch national traits manifest themselves especially clearly. Still lifes depicting modest household utensils, so common in Dutch painting and very rare in Flemish, or still lifes with household items of wealthy strata of society. Still lifes by Pieter Claesz and Willem Heda, shrouded in cold diffused light, with an almost monochrome range of colors, or still lifes painted later by Willem Kalf, where, at the behest of the artist, golden lighting brings to life forms and vivid colors of objects from the twilight. They all have common national features that will not allow them to be confused with the paintings of another school, including the related Flemish. In the Dutch still life, there is always a calm contemplation, and a special love for transmission. real forms tangible material world.

De Heem received universal recognition thanks to its magnificent images of flowers and fruits. He combined the detail of the image down to the smallest detail with a brilliant choice of colors and refined taste in building a composition. He painted flowers in bouquets and vases, in which butterflies and insects often flutter, flower wreaths in niches, windows and images of Madonnas in gray tones, garlands of fruits, still lifes with glasses filled with wine, grapes and other fruits and products. Hem masterfully used the possibilities of color and achieved a high degree of transparency, his images of inanimate nature are completely realistic. The canvases of his brush are found in almost all major art galleries. Significant distribution was received in Holland of the 17th century by a still life, which was distinguished by its character. Dutch artists chose a wide variety of objects for their still lifes, they knew how to perfectly compose them, to reveal the features of each object and its inner life, inextricably linked with human life. Dutch painters of the 17th century Pieter Claesz (circa 1597-1661) and Willem Heda (1594--1680/1682) painted numerous versions of "breakfasts", depicting hams, ruddy buns, blackberry pies, fragile glass goblets half-filled with wine on the table, with amazing skill, conveying the color, volume, texture of each item. The recent presence of man is palpable in the disorder, the accidental arrangement of things that have just served him. But this disorder is only apparent, since the composition of each still life is carefully thought out and found. A discreet greyish-gold, olive tonal range unifies the subjects and gives a special sonority to those pure colors that emphasize the freshness of a freshly cut lemon or the soft silk of a blue ribbon. Over time, the “breakfasts” of the still life masters, painters Klas and Heda give way to the “desserts” of the Dutch artists Abraham van Beijeren (1620/1621-1690) and Willem Kalf (1622-1693). Beieren's still lifes are strict in composition, emotionally rich, colorful. Willem Kalf throughout his life painted in a free manner and democratic "kitchens" - pots, vegetables and still lifes, aristocratic in the selection of exquisite precious objects, full of restrained nobility, like silver vessels, goblets, shells saturated with internal burning of colors. In the further development, the still life follows the same paths as all Dutch art, losing its democracy, its spirituality and poetry, its charm. Still life turns into a decoration of the home of high-ranking customers. With all the decorativeness and skill of execution, late still lifes anticipate the decline of Dutch painting. Social degeneration, the well-known aristocratization of the Dutch bourgeoisie in the last third of the 17th century, give rise to a tendency to converge with the aesthetic views of the French nobility, lead to the idealization of artistic images, their refinement. Art is losing ties with the democratic tradition, losing its realistic basis and entering a period of long decline. Strongly exhausted in the wars with England, Holland is losing its position as a great trading power and the largest artistic center.

Willem Heda (c. 1594 - c. 1682) is one of the first masters of the Dutch still life of the 17th century, whose work was highly valued by his contemporaries. Especially popular in Holland was such a type of canvas as "breakfast". They were created for every taste: from the rich to the more modest. The picture "Breakfast with Crab" is distinguished by an uncharacteristic for the Dutch still life big size(Appendix I). The general gamut of the work is cold, silver-gray with a few pinkish and brown spots. Kheda exquisitely depicted a set table, on which the items that make up breakfast are arranged in an elaborate mess. On the dish lies a crab, written out with all the features, next to it, a lemon turns yellow, an elegantly cut peel of which, twisting, hangs down. To the right lie green olives and an appetizing bun with golden crust. Glass and metal vessels add solidity to the still life, their color almost merges with the overall range.

Dutch still life inspires and contemporary artists, at one time it was a breakthrough that could not go unnoticed. The Dutch still life is interesting not only for connoisseurs of painting, I invite you to enjoy the paintings and history.

The Dutch still life had several directions, for example, images of game and a beaten bird were very popular, this belonged to the category “Hunting trophies”, now it seems to me that these “amateur” still lifes are not very pleasant to look at animal carcasses, but in the 17th century this was easier to relate to.

Melchior de Hondekuter "Hunting Trophies"

Another direction of the Dutch still life is Breakfast and Desserts, images of cooked food, which is more pleasant, often in the paintings one could see seafood, poultry, an abundance of fruits.

BALTHAZAR VAN DER AST "Plate with fruits and shells" 1630 g

The most pleasing trend of 17th-century Dutch still life is Flowers and Fruit, which could be depicted together in one painting, almost always in the paintings there is an image of insects, often butterflies.

BALTHASAR VAN DER AST "Still life with fruit"

Dutch still life symbolic meaning, it was not just an image of products, flowers, etc. the main idea that was characteristic of the Dutch still life of that time was the transience of everything earthly and the inevitability of death. With the help of symbolic objects such as: a clock, withering roses, a candle, the artists said that nothing lasts forever in this world. In addition, some objects indicated habits condemned by morality, such as a smoking pipe, or intrigue through writing, musical instruments etc. Unfortunately, in modern painting, symbolism has been lost and even experts in painting cannot explain the meaning of all the symbols of Dutch painting of the 17th century. And in those distant times, the Dutch gathered in the evenings in the house of the owner of a still life, examined it and discussed what this or that means symbol: withered laurel wreath - transience of glory, coins - vanity, etc.

Jan Davids de Heem
Jan Davids de Heem

Please note that in the paintings of Dutch artists of the 17th century, flowers seem to be drawn from nature, but this was not always the case, because the compositions consist of flowering and fruiting plants at different times. During the flowering period of the plant, artists carefully painted it in different lighting, in different angles etc., it was a blank, which was then used many times in their still lifes by artists. In order to enrich their still lifes, Dutch artists went to make flower drawings in the gardens of famous flower lovers in Amsterdam, Brussels, Leiden, etc.

Flower still lifes in Holland were popular among the nobles and nobility, almost every flower still life of the 17th century in Holland featured tulips, while the country was experiencing a tulip boom. A house could be mortgaged for a rare tulip bulb, the cultivation of tulips was considered the privilege of aristocrats. There is a case when a miller exchanged his mill for one tulip bulb, a tulip bulb was considered a good dowry. Tulips at that time were one-color, rarely two-colored. Now you can understand why tulips are often met in the still lifes of Dutch artists.

Jan Davids de Heem
Jan Davids de Heem

One of the most famous artists who painted the Dutch still life was Jan Davidsz de Heem, his paintings were very popular. His paintings were distinguished by richness of colors, realism, a high degree color transparency.

Some of the most beautiful Dutch still lifes by Jan Davidsz de Heem.