Artwork
Still-Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup
Still-Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Maerten Boelema de Stomme. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Maerten Boelema de Stomme's 1644 oil painting presents a classic vanitas still life arrangement centered on a Bartmann jug and a nautilus shell cup.
Maerten Boelema de Stomme's 1644 oil painting presents a classic vanitas still life arrangement centered on a Bartmann jug and a nautilus shell cup. The composition includes a lemon, a knife, a salt cellar, a wine glass, and a berkemeyer, alongside a fish and a walnut. These objects collectively function as symbolic elements common to the genre, where the perishable nature of the food items and the fragility of the glassware allude to the transience of earthly life.
The inclusion of the nautilus cup, often associated with luxury and the exotic, contrasts with the humble fish and walnut, creating a meditation on wealth versus mortality. The specific selection of these items transforms a domestic scene into a moralizing statement on the fleeting nature of material existence.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel, employing the conventional techniques of Dutch still-life painting in the mid-17th century. Boelema de Stomme renders a complex arrangement that includes a bearded male figure depicted through precise modeling of light and shadow, alongside a Bartmann jug, a nautilus-shell cup, and assorted food and drink items such as lemon, knife, salt cellar, wine glass, and fish. Formal composition emphasizes balanced spatial relationships and chiaroscuro modeling, creating a richly textured surface where brushwork remains largely invisible beneath the smooth finish.
The painting’s condition reflects careful handling over centuries, preserving the integrity of the oil medium and panel support without visible degradation.
History & Provenance
The work titled Still-Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup was created in 1644 by Maerten Boelema de Stomme. It is an oil painting executed on panel, depicting a Bartmann jug, nautilus cup, lemon, knife, salt cellar, wine glass, fish as food, walnut, and a berkemeyer. The composition measures 96 cm in width and 73 cm in height.
The painting belongs to the still life genre and was produced during the Dutch Golden Age. It is part of the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, specifically housed in the Oldmasters Museum.
The painting Still-Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup by Maerten Boelema de Stomme is held by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Within this institution, the work is located in the Oldmasters Museum. Created in 1644, the oil-on-panel piece is part of the museum's permanent collection.
The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the artwork, nor do they document any past or future exhibition history.
Overview
Maerten Boelema de Stomme’s 1644 oil painting, titled Still‑Life with a Bearded Man Crock and a Nautilus Shell Cup, presents a carefully arranged tabletop scene. A white cloth drapes the surface, upon which a fish, a loaf of bread, and several modest dishes are displayed alongside a metal cup fashioned after a nautilus shell, a globe, and a carved bearded jug. The work is part of the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
Context
During the mid‑17th century, Dutch artists frequently explored still‑life subjects to demonstrate technical skill and to comment on the prosperity of the Republic. Boelema’s inclusion of a globe and a nautilus cup points to the era’s expanding global trade networks, while the presence of a Bartmann jug references a popular vessel type used for storage and transport of goods.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maerten Boelema de Stomme (1611–1644) was a Dutch artist, born in Leeuwarden.
Museum
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
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