Details

Provenienz:
Privatbesitz, Süddeutschland.

Descrizione

Due to the choice of food and the strict, precisely balanced composition, the painter of this still life can be assumed to be in the circle of Jacob van Es. A variant of the composition was auctioned in Cologne on 16 November 2012. The cooked lobster, served on a Delft porcelain plate, sets a colourful accent. A lemon rolls dangerously close to the edge of the table, probably to drizzle over the oyster halves, which lie ready to eat on a polished silver plate; behind it is a wicker basket with round loaves of bread, a demijohn and an earthenware jug.
Although there is no doubt that this is a demonstration of dining luxury, the meal was still associated with the idea of religious symbolism: The bread and wine are a reference to the Eucharist, while the red shellfish is also a reminder of the shed blood of Christ.