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| Still Life: Fruit Piece with Lemons, Grapes, Plums and Cherries Jan Davidsz de Heem, 1650 The Victoria & Albert Museum |
This moody still life of lemons, grapes, plums, cherries and buzzing insects is
an excellent example of the work the celebrated painter Jan Davidsz de Heem
(1606-1684). He was born in Utrecht but settled
in the early 1630s in Antwerp, Belgium, maintaining a workshop in Utrecht which
he visited quite often in order work with collaborators and pupils, the most
famous of which being Abraham Mignon. Two Jan’s sons also became painters:
Cornelis de Heem and Jan Jansz. de Heem.
Jan Davidsz de Heem was known for his “vanitas” still-lifes and flower-pieces. Take this one for example. The fruit, set against a dark background, is overripe to the point of being on the cusp of rotting. The presence of insects around the fruit suggests decay and reminds us that as humans, when we are at our best and most attractive, we are actually in a state of decay ourselves. So, in fact, our pride and vanity is foolish since at the point of our greatest lusciousness, we are closer to rotting than ever before. Yay! Good times!
Jan Davidsz de Heem was known for his “vanitas” still-lifes and flower-pieces. Take this one for example. The fruit, set against a dark background, is overripe to the point of being on the cusp of rotting. The presence of insects around the fruit suggests decay and reminds us that as humans, when we are at our best and most attractive, we are actually in a state of decay ourselves. So, in fact, our pride and vanity is foolish since at the point of our greatest lusciousness, we are closer to rotting than ever before. Yay! Good times!
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