Pamono Alexander Van Adriaenssen, Still Life with Oysters & Fish, 1630, Oil on Canvas

Still Life with Oysters, Fish and Lobsters

Oil on canvas (67 x 110 cm. – Framed 87 x 131 cm.)

Expertise by Prof. Massimo Pirondini (Reggio Emilia)

Oysters, various types of fish and two lobsters are arranged on a smooth stone surface, with a copper pot, a large wicker basket and some barrels for brine (one with the letters B V, readable on the reverse) in the background.

The peculiar characteristics of the painting declare it to be the fruit of that particular historical and cultural environment that was created in the Netherlands between the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century, where the genre of the “still life” achieved extraordinary importance as the absolute protagonist, and no longer as a marginal accessory, of works of art.

The Dutch still life, whether of flowers, fruit, game, tableware or everyday objects, will be oriented mainly towards simple and domestic themes, almost as if to represent the deep love of its people for the reality of the humble and everyday things of life. This in contrast to the Flemish one, which on the contrary will become increasingly scenographic, pompous and of “overflowing plénitude”.

The “Still life with oysters, fish and lobsters” considered here fully reflects the inclination of Dutch origin, with its sobriety of figuration and essential composition. In particular, if we analyze the orderly spatial scansion of the objects, we can easily trace its paternity back to Alexander von Adriassen (Antwerp, 1587 – 1661), with whose catalogue our painting shows clear stylistic analogies.

Favorite subjects and recurring themes of his repertoire were fish, shellfish, oysters and, sometimes, game or vegetables placed on simple kitchen tables that, although remaining in the Flemish Antwerp, however not far from the border with Holland, were certainly influenced by them for the choice of contents and the compositional frugality.

In his compositions he used a careful arrangement of individual objects to create a sensation of balance and harmony in the painting, and also the use he makes of the ’empty space’ is remarkable, calibrated to stand out and give importance to what he depicted.

This work of art is a perfect example of the artist’s ability to capture the truthfulness of everyday food, not in an artificial way: it seems like a photograph of a table of a Dutch bourgeois family of the seventeenth century, illustrated without too many frills.

Born in Antwerp in 1587, Alexander was already registered in 1610, as a master specialized in still lifes, in the Guild of Saint Luke of his city, earning the admiration of Rubens, who counted some works by this artist in his collection, and of Anthony van Dyck, with whom he also had friendships and collaborations.

His works are present in numerous European museums, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Rijsmuseum in Amsterdam, the Koninklijk Museum in Antwerp, the Prado in Madrid. In the latter, in particular, there is the beautiful series from the Spanish royal collections, including a ‘Still life with fish, oysters and a cat’ (1)

(1) https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/still-life-of-fish-and-oysters-with-a-cat/d2…

Finally, as regards the letters V B on the barrel in the background, it is unlikely that they are to be interpreted as the initials of the author, but more likely that they are a brand originally engraved with fire on the container, reproduced with reversed numbers by the artist as he saw them in the execution of the painting carried out live, as frequently happened, with the aid of a mirror.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a pleasant antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic descriptive sheet.