Existing comment:
Jan Davidsz de Heem
Still Life, ca 1640-50
Elaborate still lifes featuring luxurious and exotic objects from around the world became popular after 1640. This generation of prosperous Dutch citizens looked at worldly goods less suspiciously than their parents had -- they enjoyed wealth and sophistication represented by expensive imports such as the African gray patriot shown here. Antwerp, where de Heem moved in 1636, was the most active market for such paintings; its citizens had never been as strict as their Calvinist neighbors.
A watch in a beautifully detailed golden case (lower right), its key attached by a blue ribbon, accompanies the lobster, parrot, and expensive vessels. However, watches in paintings were often reminders that worldly pleasures were fleeting and best enjoyed in moderation. Thus, despite its opulence, this painting still hints at an ambivalence toward wealth characteristic of the Protestant north. |