"Still Life of Fruit on a Kraak Porcelain Dish," Balthasar van
der Ast, 1617. Oil on panel.
:Dutch Masterwork Comes to the Currier
One of the most important early Seventeenth Century Dutch still
lifes in New England was acquired by the Currier Museum of Art in
March. Balthasar van der Ast, an early great Dutch still life
painter, created his first major masterwork in "Still Life of
Fruit on a Kraak Porcelain Dish," dated 1617. It is regarded by
scholars as a landmark in the history and development of Dutch
still life painting.
"The Currier's acquisition of Balthasar van der Ast's almost
miraculously well-preserved still life brings new strength to the
museum's holdings. It is a stellar example of Seventeenth Century
Dutch painters' devotion to the visible and pictorial genius,"
said Seymour Slive, a former director of the Harvard University
Art Museums and author of several books on the genre, including
Dutch Painting, 1600-1800, published by Yale
University Press.
Van der Ast was born in Middelburg about 1593 as the son of a
wealthy merchant. Upon the death of his father in 1609, Van der
Ast went to live with his sister, Maria, who was also a painter
and who had married Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, one of the
founders of the Dutch still life genre.
Bosschaert was known for his striking depictions of flowers, but
Van der Ast, who was Bosschaert's pupil until he was 21, departed
from his teacher's influence in his early twenties, when he
painted "Still Life of Fruit on a Kraak Porcelain Dish." It was
among the very first still lifes to depict fruit, and certainly
the most accomplished of any departure from traditional floral
still lifes. Because of its large scale, exquisite attention to
light and shadow and sophisticated composition, many speculate
that this painting served as Van der Ast's "masterpiece
submission" in 1619 to the guild, or union, to which fine arts
painters belonged.
The painting, which measures nearly two by three feet, features a
large porcelain dish heaped with apples, apricots, plums and
grapes. The almost life-sized dish rests on a stone tabletop,
beside two carnations, a spray of apricots, two shells, a tiny
snail and a quince. The wilting leaves, feasting flies and
chipped edge of the tabletop refer to the fleeting nature of life
and beauty, injecting a moralizing theme into the product of a
Protestant society. The porcelain dish and the exotic shells
reflect the collecting tastes of Seventeenth Century Holland's
upwardly mobile middle class. The growing wealth of the middle
class, as well as these fragile, exotic objects, derived from
Holland's expansive trade routes to Asia and the West Indies.
This new prosperity, coupled with a hunger for paintings, helped
support the Dutch Golden Age of art.
"The Currier's new painting is one of the most important Dutch
still lifes in any New England museum, and one of the most
historically important in America," said Susan Strickler, Currier
director. She added, "With funds from the bequest of our longtime
trustee Henry Melville Fuller, we are able to renew our
commitment to buying landmark works of art."
The Currier Museum of Art is at 201 Myrtle Way. For
information, 603-669-6144, ext 108, or www.currier.org.
