Artwork
Still life with fruit
Still life with fruit is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob van Walscapelle. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Jacob van Walscapelle's 1698 oil painting, Still life with fruit, depicts an arrangement of fruit as its primary subject.
Jacob van Walscapelle's 1698 oil painting, Still life with fruit, depicts an arrangement of fruit as its primary subject. As a work within the still life genre, the composition focuses entirely on the representation of these natural objects. The source material identifies the depicted content simply as fruit, without specifying particular varieties or assigning explicit symbolic meanings such as vanitas or abundance.
Consequently, the work's meaning is defined by its straightforward presentation of the subject matter rather than by a complex allegorical program detailed in the available records.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1698, this still life by Jacob van Walscapelle is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 68 cm in height and 63 cm in width. As a representative example of the still life genre, the composition focuses on the depiction of fruit.
The application of oil paint on a woven canvas support reflects the standard materials and handling techniques employed by Dutch artists of the late seventeenth century for this subject matter.
History & Provenance
Jacob van Walscapelle executed this oil on canvas still life in 1698. The work entered a documented private collection through Lucretia Johanna van Winter, followed by Hendrik Six van Hillegom. Subsequent ownership passed to Jan Pieter Six VI, then to Pieter Hendrik Six van Vromade, and later to Jan Six van Vromade. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is recorded as an oil on canvas work by Jacob van Walscapelle dated 1698.
Its documented provenance traces through a sequence of private owners associated with the Six family: Lucretia Johanna van Winter, Hendrik Six van Hillegom, Jan Pieter Six VI, Pieter Hendrik Six van Vromade, and Jan Six van Vromade. No specific inventory or accession number, and no exhibition history, is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Jacob van Walscapelle’s oil painting, dated to 1700, presents a still‑life composition centered on a basket overflowing with assorted fruit. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the Dutch tradition of detailed, domestic subjects rendered with careful observation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
A Dutch artist who specialized in lush still lifes, Jacob van Walscapelle painted glowing arrangements of fruit and flowers in the late 1600s.
