Artwork
Still life of a laid table with ham and a view of a niche
Still life of a laid table with ham and a view of a niche is a paint painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Jansz den Uyl. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Jan Jansz.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a still life painting, the main subject is the laid table itself, organized to showcase these specific domestic and dining elements.
The work depicts a laid table set within a niche, featuring a variety of objects including a ham, a lemon, a knife, and a chalice. Additional items such as a tazza, wine glass, jug, and tablecloth complete the arrangement on the table surface. As a still life painting, the main subject is the laid table itself, organized to showcase these specific domestic and dining elements.
The composition places these objects against the architectural backdrop of a niche, creating a focused study of the table setting.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in paint on panel, a support characteristic of Dutch still-life production of the period. Its medium is classified as a painting, and the composition is organized around a laid table set against the architectural framing of a niche, a structural device that gives the arrangement depth and a recessed, stage-like setting.
The depicted objects include a ham, tazza, wine glass, jug, chalice, lemon, knife, and a draped tablecloth, rendered as a still life. The handling of the niche view and the carefully arranged tableware reflects the formal conventions of the genre as practiced by Jan Jansz den Uyl in 1635.
Overview
Jan Jansz. den Uyl's 1635 painting, Still life of a laid table with ham and a view of a niche, exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age's focus on domestic scenes. This oil painting presents a meticulously arranged banquet tableau, characteristic of the artist's specialization in still life. It is currently housed in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
Context
Jan Jansz. den Uyl was a painter active during the Dutch Golden Age, a period renowned for its flourishing art market and diverse genres. While primarily recognized for his still lifes, particularly 'banquet pieces' like this one, his oeuvre also included landscapes and animal paintings. His work contributes to the era's rich tradition of detailed observation and domestic representation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Jansz. den Uyl (Utrecht (?), 1595/96 – 24 November 1639) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age. He very much specialized in the form of still life known as the breakfast piece, or, in the elaborate style of painters…
