Artwork
Still life with flowers, goblet and dainties
Still life with flowers, goblet and dainties is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Clara Peeters. It dates from 1611 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a richly arranged assortment of flowers, dried fruit, sweets, almonds, small bread rolls, wine, a gold-plated cup, a pretzel, a bouquet, a Jan Steen pitcher, a covered beaker and a wine glass. The abundance of edible items and luxury vessels functions as a conventional still-life motif, while the subtle reflections in the gilded jug and pewter cup reveal the artist's own likeness, a strategy she employed in several paintings to claim visibility in a male-dominated field. By embedding her image within the composition, Peeters signals both technical mastery and a symbolic assertion of artistic identity, situating the work within a small series of still lifes that blend decorative detail with a quiet commentary on gender and professional recognition.
Technique & Style
The panel support and oil medium enable the smooth, detailed finish characteristic of Flemish still-life traditions.
The painting is executed in oil on panel, measuring 52 × 73 cm. Peeters employs a dark background against which the still-life elements are rendered with striking realism. A distinctive technical feature is the artist's use of reflective surfaces to embed self-portraits: her image appears four times in the gilded jar and three times in the pewter cup, achieved through meticulous manipulation of light on metal. This reflective technique demonstrates sophisticated handling of oil paint to capture varied textures, flowers, dried fruit, confectionery, bread, wine, and vessels. The panel support and oil medium enable the smooth, detailed finish characteristic of Flemish still-life traditions.
History & Provenance
Clara Peeters executed this oil-on-panel still life in 1611. The painting is firmly documented within the Spanish Royal Collection, appearing in the inventory of 1746. Its ownership chain includes prominent royal figures such as Elisabeth Farnese, Charles III of Spain, and Ferdinand VII of Spain.
Today, the painting resides in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, inventory number P001693, where it remains part of the permanent collection. The Prado presented the work in the 2016 exhibition El arte de Clara Peeters.
Context
Clara Peeters's 1611 oil on panel Still life with flowers, goblet and dainties exemplifies the meticulous realism and symbolic abundance characteristic of early Baroque still-life. The work entered the Spanish royal collection, later the Museo del Prado, where its inclusion in a 1746 inventory confirms long-standing prestige. Scholars note the artist's subtle self-portraiture reflected in a golden jug and pewter cup, a strategy that helped her assert professional identity amid limited opportunities for women.
Comparative analysis of its size and motif links the painting to three other known pieces, suggesting a cohesive series that illustrates Peeters's role in merging artistic composition with meticulous naturalistic observation.
Overview
Clara Peeters, a prominent Flemish still-life painter of the early 17th century, completed Still life with flowers, goblet and dainties in 1611. This oil painting exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age's rich tradition of detailed still-life compositions. Peeters was among the rare professional women artists working across the Spanish Netherlands and Dutch Republic, specializing in intricate depictions of food and domestic objects.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Clara Peeters (Dutch pronunciation: ; fl. 1607–1676) was a Flemish still-life painter from Antwerp who worked in both the Spanish Netherlands and Dutch Republic. Peeters is the best-known female Flemish artist of this…
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