Jacob van Hulsdonck: Still Life with Meat, Fish, Vegetables and Fruit (1615-20)

(Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, USA)

A painting by the Flemish artist Jacob van Hulsdonck (1582-1647). Van Hulsdonck specialized in the genre of still lifes of fruit, banquets and flowers. In this piece van Hulsdonck has combined the various subjects into a colorful array of foods, and tablewares ranging from an earthenware trencher to delicate Chinese porcelain—an expensive luxury made possible by international trade. The partially eaten food and an overturned glass suggest that diners have just departed, leaving insects to explore the remains. Painting from 1615-1620.