Existing comment:
Cornelis Jacobsz Delff
Interior of a Kitchen, ca 1610
Game, vegetables, and large copper pots fill the foreground of this sumptuous kitchen scene, a specialty developed in Antwerp in the late 1500s. The well-dressed group enjoying a fancy meal in the background may convey the moral message found in the biblical parable of the prodigal son -- here in contemporary dress -- squandering his money. The cuts of meat may symbolize humanity's carnal nature, an association strengthened by the flirtatious servants in the foreground and the wealthier but equally profligate diners in the background.
Though symbolic moral elements are undoubtedly part of the picture's meaning, it was most likely painted for a wealthy household and must be understood in that context. Rich contemporary viewers were likely to have taken some delight in the foibles of both servants and diners, and some pride in the magnificent and mouth-watering abundance displayed in the lavish still-life foreground. |