Artwork
Still-life with a Tall Beer Glass
Still-life with a Tall Beer Glass is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Jansz van de Velde. It dates from 1647 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the hazelnut and oyster further emphasizes abundance and earthly delights, reinforcing the theme of life’s brevity despite material richness.
The painting depicts a still-life arrangement centered on a tall beer glass, alongside a pipe, a cup, a hazelnut, an oyster, and beer. These elements form a traditional Dutch tableau, where everyday objects carry layered meanings tied to transience and sensory pleasure. The tall beer glass, often a passglas, evokes conviviality and the fleeting nature of life, while the pipe and tobacco suggest indulgence and the passage of time.
The inclusion of the hazelnut and oyster further emphasizes abundance and earthly delights, reinforcing the theme of life’s brevity despite material richness.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1647, this still life by Jan Jansz van de Velde is an oil painting on panel. The work measures 64.5 cm in height and 59 cm in width. Stylistically, it belongs to the Dutch Golden Age tradition, depicting a precise arrangement of everyday objects including a tall beer glass (passglas), an oyster, a hazelnut, and a pipe.
The composition focuses on the textural interplay between the reflective glass, the organic forms of the food, and the surrounding vessels, characteristic of the artist’s meticulous handling of light and material.
History & Provenance
Still-life with a Tall Beer Glass was painted by Jan Jansz van de Velde in 1647, a date confirmed by the work’s inscription. No documentation indicates a specific commission or patron; the painting appears to have been produced for the open market typical of Dutch Golden Age still-life painters. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The available sources do not provide a reliable inventory or accession number or a documented exhibition history.
Legacy
Since its creation in 1647, the painting has been part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it is displayed as a representative example of Dutch Golden Age still-life. Its inclusion in the 2019 exhibition "Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum" brought renewed scholarly attention to the work and highlighted its role in the development of genre scenes featuring everyday objects. Art historians cite the composition’s careful rendering of texture and light as an influence on later Dutch painters who explored similar domestic subjects.
Overview
Jan Jansz van de Velde's Still-life with a Tall Beer Glass, painted in 1647, is an oil on panel work that exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age tradition of still-life painting. This composition features a carefully arranged collection of everyday objects, including a prominent beverage glass, alongside various foodstuffs. The painting is currently housed in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Jansz van de Velde (1620–1662) was a Dutch artist, born in Haarlem.
