Artwork
Stilleven met vissen en een kreeft
Stilleven met vissen en een kreeft is an oil painting by the Realist artist Augustin Théodule Ribot. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created by Augustin Théodule Ribot in 1850, the composition focuses entirely on these marine subjects rendered in oil paint.
The work is a still life painting that depicts a arrangement of fish and a lobster. Created by Augustin Théodule Ribot in 1850, the composition focuses entirely on these marine subjects rendered in oil paint. The imagery presents a straightforward representation of the catch, characteristic of the genre without additional allegorical figures or complex narrative elements described in the available records.
Technique & Style
Augustin Théodule Ribot’s Stilleven met vissen en een kreeft (1850) is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 60 by 74 centimeters. The support is a tightly woven linen canvas, prepared with a traditional white or light-toned ground that enhances the luminosity of the subsequent layers.
Ribot’s handling is characterized by a precise, almost tactile realism. The brushwork ranges from smooth, almost invisible strokes in the fish scales and lobster carapace to thicker, impasto applications in highlights, particularly on the wet surfaces and reflective eyes. This meticulous attention to texture creates a striking contrast between the delicate translucency of the fish flesh and the hard, segmented shell of the lobster.
The composition relies on a restrained palette of earthy browns, silvery grays, and muted reds, with strategic accents of white to model form and suggest moisture.
History & Provenance
The still life painting Stilleven met vissen en een kreeft was created by Augustin Théodule Ribot in 1850. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 60 cm in height and 74 cm in width. It depicts a lobster and fish, consistent with Ribot's genre focus during this period.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Historical records indicate that the work was previously owned by Maria Catharina barones van Pallandt, establishing a specific point in its ownership chain prior to its arrival at the museum.
Overview
Created circa 1850 by French realist Théodule‑Augustin Ribot, this oil painting presents a modest still‑life arrangement of fish, a lobster and a small onion. The objects rest on a darkened surface, their muted tones contrasted by the lobster’s vivid red. The composition reflects Ribot’s focus on ordinary subjects rendered with precise observation, and the work now belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Théodule-Augustin Ribot (French:; August 8, 1823 – September 11, 1891) was a French realist painter and printmaker.
