Artwork
Still Life: A Basket of Grapes and Other Fruit
Still Life: A Basket of Grapes and Other Fruit is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob van Hulsdonck. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, having passed through the ownership of Julius Böhler Jr.
The painting shows a basket filled with grapes and assorted fruit, including a lemon and leafy branches, rendered in oil on panel in 1640 by Jacob van Hulsdonck. As a still‑life work, it belongs to the genre of fruit and flower compositions popular in the Dutch Republic, and the depicted items, grapes, lemon, leaf, are the specific elements listed in the record. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, having passed through the ownership of Julius Böhler Jr. and the Kunsthandel J. R. Bier.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on panel, a support typical of Jacob van Hulsdonck's still-life practice. The composition is arranged horizontally, measuring 49.8 cm in height by 64.8 cm in width, and centers on a basket of grapes accompanied by other fruit, including lemons and leaves. The choice of a wooden panel rather than canvas allowed for the fine, smooth surface treatment needed to render the translucent skins of the grapes and the reflective highlights on the fruit with precision.
The painting belongs to the still-life genre and reflects the modest-scale, carefully observed format associated with Flemish still-life production of the period.
History & Provenance
The still life was painted around 1640 by Jacob van Hulsdonck in oil on panel, as indicated by the work’s date and medium. After its creation, the painting passed through the art trade, being owned by dealer Julius Böhler Jr. and the firm Kunsthandel J. R. Bier before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is now housed. The sources do not record any specific commission or earlier owners known from the available records.
Legacy
Jacob van Hulsdonck’s 1640 Still Life: A Basket of Grapes and Other Fruit continues to be recognized through its inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it has been displayed and studied as part of the museum’s Dutch still‑life holdings. Its provenance through Julius Böhler Jr. and the Kunsthandel J. R. Bier reflects a documented chain of ownership that has contributed to scholarly attention on the work. The painting’s presence in a major public institution has reinforced its reputation as an exemplary example of mid‑17th‑century Flemish fruit still lifes, influencing subsequent interpretations of the genre.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Still Life: A Basket of Grapes and Other Fruit, presents a rich arrangement of produce. A wicker basket, laden with various grapes, dominates the composition, its contents spilling onto a wooden surface. The artist meticulously rendered a diverse selection of fruits, creating a detailed and vibrant tableau that invites close observation of its natural forms and textures.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob van Hulsdonck or Jan van Hulsdonck (1582, Antwerp – 1647, Antwerp), was a Flemish painter who played a role in the early development of the genre of still lifes of fruit, banquets and flowers.
