Artwork
Still life with wineglass, beer glass and pipe
Still life with wineglass, beer glass and pipe is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Jansz van de Velde. It dates from 1658 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These items are set against a plain background, emphasizing their material presence and the play of light on glass and ceramic surfaces.
The painting presents a quiet, closely framed arrangement of three everyday objects: a clear wineglass, a blue-green beer glass, and a brown clay pipe with loose tobacco beside it. These items are set against a plain background, emphasizing their material presence and the play of light on glass and ceramic surfaces.
Scholars interpret the grouping as a vanitas still life, in which the transience of sensory pleasure is implied by the fragile glassware and the consumable tobacco, while the pipe signals the fleeting act of smoking itself. The inclusion of two distinct drinking vessels and tobacco suggests a broader meditation on indulgence and the passage of time.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1658, this still life by Jan Jansz van de Velde is an oil painting created on a wooden panel. The work measures 36 cm in height and 32.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition focuses on a precise arrangement of everyday objects, specifically depicting a wafer glass, a rummer, and a Gouda clay pipe filled with tobacco.
The artist's handling of the oil medium allows for the detailed rendering of these distinct materials, characteristic of the Dutch still-life genre.
History & Provenance
Jan Jansz van de Velde created this still life painting in 1658. The artwork, executed in oil paint on a panel, has documented dimensions of 36 by 32.5 cm. Daniel Franken is a recorded past owner of the piece. The work subsequently entered the collection of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and is also associated with the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently located.
Context
The 1658 oil painting Still life with wineglass, beer glass and pipe by Jan Jansz van de Velde exemplifies the banquet still‑life genre popular in mid‑17th‑century Dutch art. Its depiction of a wafer glass, Gouda clay pipe, tobacco and rummer reflects the period’s fascination with convivial gatherings and the symbolic use of everyday objects. The work’s inclusion in the Rijksmuseum’s collection, alongside holdings at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, situates it within the artist’s broader output of banquet scenes and highlights its relevance to Dutch Golden Age still‑life scholarship.
Overview
Jan Jansz van de Velde's 1658 oil painting, Still life with wineglass, beer glass and pipe, presents a detailed arrangement of domestic items. This work, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum, exemplifies the Dutch tradition of still life painting. It captures common objects such as a Gouda clay pipe, a rummer, and a beer glass, meticulously rendered to highlight their individual textures and forms.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Jansz van de Velde (1620–1662) was a Dutch artist, born in Haarlem.
