still life with fruit

Balthasar van der Ast (Dutch, 1593/1594 - 1657)
Still Life with Fruit and Flowers, c.1620-21
oil on panel
40x70 cm.
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Object number: SK-A-2152

Specialized in still lifes of flowers and fruit. While many a Dutch still life was produced in the 17th century, I continue to find individual works that I really enjoy. The width of this painting and the way the artist has spread his objects along the time beyond the cluster of the plate of fruit increases its interest.

More work by van der Ast

cup and flower

Cup of Water and Rose on a Silver Plate c. 1630
Francisco de Zurbaran (1598-1664)
Oil on canvas, 21,2 x 30,1 cm
National Gallery, London
image: Web Gallery of Art

I'm back! with a still-life. I did a lot of cataloging this week and built up a list of artists to share. Today's is Baroque Spanish painter, Francisco de Zurbaran. Zurbaran was not known for still-lifes and I was not originally intending on sharing one, but when I was looking for a work, I fell for this simple yet beautiful painting.

This same motif is in a few of Zurbaran's other paintings. "Here the objects may be intended to have a symbolic character: the water in the cup perhaps refers to the Virgin's purity and the flower recalls her title of 'Mystic Rose'." (nationalgallery caption). Most of Zurbaran's works were focused on religious themes.