Artwork
Still Life with a Lemon and pink Roses
Still Life with a Lemon and pink Roses is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Cornelis Kick. It dates from 1667 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Still Life with a Lemon and Pink Roses is a 17th-century oil painting created by Dutch artist Cornelis Kick around 1667. The work features a simple, yet meticulously detailed, arrangement of a cut lemon and light pink roses on a black plate.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a humble still life, emphasizing the everyday beauty of nature. The cut lemon, with its curled peel, and the delicate pink roses with green leaves, may symbolize the transience of life and the beauty of fleeting moments, common themes in Dutch Golden Age still-life painting.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint, the painting showcases Kick's mastery of realistic representation, characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age. Attention to texture and detail creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer into the intimate scene.
History & Provenance
Created in Amsterdam circa 1667, the painting is now part of the Ashmolean Museum's collection. Cornelis Kick was known for his still lifes and genre scenes, often focusing on flowers, fruit, and banquet pieces.
Context
This work is rooted in the Dutch Golden Age tradition of still-life painting, which valued naturalistic depiction and often conveyed subtle symbolic meanings through everyday objects.
Legacy
While specific influence or notable exhibitions of Still Life with a Lemon and Pink Roses are not highlighted, it contributes to the broader appreciation of Cornelis Kick's contributions to 17th-century Dutch still-life painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cornelis Kick (bapt. 12 March 1634, in Amsterdam – 18 June 1681, in Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and genre scenes. Kick painted still lifes of flower and fruit and sumptuous still lifes. He was also a botanical illustrator.
