Dutch School | Still Life with Game, Fruit, and Flowers

Still Life with Game, Fruit, and Flowers
Unknown (Follower of 17th-Century Flemish Tradition)
Continental, Dutch, Late 17th – Early 18th Century
Oil on canvas

Height: 60 cms (23.5 ins)
Width : 134 cms (53 ins)

This richly detailed still life painting embodies the opulence and abundance associated with the Flemish Baroque tradition. Set against a dark background that emphasises depth and texture, the composition presents an overflowing banquet of objects carefully arranged on a horizontal table. The array includes a hanging game bird, a red lobster, fresh peaches in a blue-and-white ceramic bowl, clusters of grapes, assorted fish, and a lifeless hare, its form dramatically draped off the edge of the table.

Central to the composition is an ornate urn filled with lush flowers and fruits, symbolising both beauty and transience. The urn is flanked by a wine vessel and glassware, further emphasising the theme of consumption and luxury. Scattered cherries and other fruits add a sense of spontaneity to the carefully orchestrated layout.

The work reflects not only the artist's technical proficiency in rendering various textures—fur, feather, shell, and porcelain—but also the cultural values of the period. The inclusion of hunted animals, seafood, and imported ceramics hints at wealth, trade, and dominion over nature, while subtly alluding to the vanitas theme: the inevitable decay of earthly pleasures.

Paintings like this were often commissioned to demonstrate status and refinement, showcasing the owner's access to rare delicacies and fine objects. They also served as moral reminders of mortality and the fleeting nature of material life—a concept frequently encoded in Dutch and Flemish still lifes of the era.

Gallery Note:
Observe the careful interplay of light and shadow, and the subtle way the artist directs the viewer’s gaze across the surface. Every object has been placed not just for visual impact, but for symbolic resonance—encouraging a meditation on both indulgence and impermanence.