Still Life with Class

Fruit and Glass of Wine is a simple and balanced composition. Prominently placed on the table with its red cloth is a roemer filled with white wine, and in front of it, a silver platter with peaches and chestnuts. On the right lie bunches of grapes. The vines curl into the curtain, visually linking foreground and background. A peacock butterfly flies off while a speckled wood butterfly and a painted lady rest on the leaves and vines. A fly sits on the top peach, another insect on the white grapes, and to the right, a snail on a vine leaf. The objects are shown relatively high in the picture plane, making a large part of the tabletop visible.

At the bottom right, on the tablecloth, the signature of the artist is displayed in gold calligraphy: Guillmo van Aelst 1659. Willem van Aelst (1627–1683), born and trained in Delft, lived in France and became court painter to Grand Duke Ferdinand II de’ Medici in Florence. After returning, he signed his works using his Italianized name and was active in Amsterdam as a prominent still-life painter. He lived on the fashionable Prinsengracht canal.

The nibbled leaves and the overripe, slightly spoiled fruit symbolize transience, as do the fleeting reflections in the glass. There is also Christian symbolism: grapes and wine refer to the Eucharist, and butterflies symbolize Christ’s crucifixion as a man and his resurrection as a divine being.

The slightly bluish tone of the leaves likely results from the fading of a yellow glaze, a change observed in other paintings by Van Aelst. As the yellow pigment faded from the originally green color, the blue now dominates.

Van Aelst’s still lifes, painted in vivid colors, depict luxury objects that look almost real—and the paintings themselves were luxury items, executed with expensive materials. Here, he especially showcases his skill in rendering the roemer and the reflections on its rounded surface. The glass reflects the studio windows, possibly overlooking Amsterdam, with the dark silhouette of the painter in the center. Notice too the dynamism of diagonal lines and the light-dark contrasts. Both the use of color and the asymmetrical, diagonal composition were innovations by Van Aelst that were widely imitated.

This article previously appeared in ZAAL Z, the museum's magazine. For as little as 35 euros you will receive four editions that will immerse you in the fascinating world of the museum and its magnificent collection.