Captured Reality

The first independent still-life paintings in Western art did not appear until the second half of the 16th century. Until then still-life elements, considered too lowly to stand by themselves, were included only as decorative or symbolic elements in religious, mythological, or historical pictures. So new was the genre in the 17th century that there was no term for it until after 1650. Instead, critics used specific words to distinguish the various types of subjects, such as "kitchens," "fruit markets," or even "little things." By 1620 painters had already explored every type of still-life subject that would be portrayed in the next hundred years: flower bouquets, market scenes, hunting and game pictures, dining scenes, illusionism, and vanitas themes.

The 17th century was the golden age of art and economic well-being in the Netherlands. The area prospered with riches from both land and sea: exotic foreign products were imported and local agricultural bounty translated into wealth for the domestic table. Still-life paintings reflected this richness. Artists attempted successfully to capture the detail of beautiful flowers, the abundance of the table, and the affluence of Netherlandish citizens. At the same time they vied for recognition of their incredible skills at realistic portrayal. Although some contemporary critics still considered still-life painting on the lowest rung of the ladder of art, kings, aristocrats, and wealthy merchants paid huge sums for these pictures. However, many collectors owned still-life paintings of objects that they would otherwise not be able to afford. The rare silver pitcher, Chinese porcelain, or bouquet of fantastically priced tulips could be admired on one's wall if not on one's table.

Most still-life artists specialized in certain types of subjects or forms, but even history painters like Rembrandt sometimes turned to the genre. Rembrandt's Dead Peafowl shows a young girl in historic costume contemplating two peahens displayed with a basket of fruit.

The startling illusions depicted in some paintings challenge the beholder's sense of what is real. Cornelis Brize's Account Ledgers of the City Treasury of Amsterdam hung in the treasurer's office next to actual ledgers, deceiving the viewer. In the 17th century the talents of still-life painters to capture reality was praised in poetry and in gifts and monetary reward to the artists. The carefully concocted flower arrangements of Jan van Huysum, one of the highest paid painters, were prized throughout Europe.

Still-life paintings provided a microcosm of the 17th-century Netherlandish world. In some cases, they depicted not only beauty but also the transience of life. Allegorical themes were abundant, especially those that suggested the vanity and brevity of life and the inevitability of death. David Bailly's Self-Portrait with an Allegorical Still Life might imply that art is useless in the face of death, or, more probably, that art outlasts death and that the painter's talent is primary. Other paintings emphasize the importance of temperance.

Whether 17th-century still-life paintings had a moralizing intent or were painted for the pure pleasure of displaying the talent of the artist and the abundance of a healthy and wealthy society, their message of beauty and natural content realized is clearly understood by today's viewer.

Diane De Grazia, The Clara T. Rankin Chief Curator