Still Life with Silver-Gilt Glass Holder, Abraham van Beyeren, c. 1654 - c. 1660 – (Abraham Hendrickz. Van Beyeren) ◄ Trước Kế tiếp ►

Nghệ sĩ: Abraham Hendrickz. Van Beyeren

ngày: 1660

kích thước: 50 x 37 cm

Kỹ thuật: Oil On Panel

This intimate little banquet piece, which has never before been published, is executed in Abraham van Beyeren’s typical manner with rapid brushstrokes and thickly applied highlights. The composition is dominated by the winged wine glass on the right and the silver-gilt glass holder with the figure of Bacchus in the middle, which is very probably a variation of the salt cellar created in 1639 by the Amsterdam silversmith Johannes Lutma.8 The eight-pointed salver in the foreground is terribly misshapen, however, and the peaches lack definition and texture. The overall theme of the painting seems to be a celebration of times of plenty, as every object exudes luxury and wealth. If the closed pocket watch is supposed to be a reminder of the transitory nature of these material goods, it does so very unobtrusively. According to the dealer’s label on the reverse of the panel there should be remnants of Van Beyeren’s monogram, but recent examination failed to reveal any. His authorship is not doubted, however. Although the thickly applied paint and erratic highlights seem to point towards the later stages of the artist’s career, after 1660, his only dated works with the same eight-pointed salver are from 1654-55. In fact, all of Van Beyeren’s pictures dated in that period show this particular object.9 The pocket watch, on the other hand, does not correspond to those occurring in his still lifes from these years. The remarkable glass holder seems to be unique in Van Beyeren’s oeuvre, but it is found in paintings by his Amsterdam rivals Willem Kalf and Willem van Aelst from around 1655 and 1659 respectively.10 Erlend de Groot, 2022 See Key to abbreviations, Rijksmuseum painting catalogues and Acknowledgements