Artwork
Still-life with Asparagus, Lemon, Covered Beaker, and Wine Cooler
Still-life with Asparagus, Lemon, Covered Beaker, and Wine Cooler is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Maria Vos. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The covered beaker and wine cooler introduce an element of conviviality, hinting at shared meals and social ritual.
The painting depicts a still-life arrangement of asparagus, a lemon, a covered beaker, and a wine cooler. These objects belong to the traditional vocabulary of European still-life painting, in which humble foodstuffs and refined tableware are combined to evoke themes of nourishment, hospitality, and the pleasures of the table. The pairing of fresh produce such as asparagus and lemon with a covered drinking vessel and a wine cooler suggests a setting of dining or refreshment, a common motif in nineteenth-century still lifes that celebrated everyday domestic abundance.
By presenting these items together, Maria Vos engages with the long-standing symbolic associations of the genre: asparagus has historically been linked to spring, renewal, and luxury, while the lemon signals freshness and brightness. The covered beaker and wine cooler introduce an element of conviviality, hinting at shared meals and social ritual. Together, the depicted objects form a quiet meditation on taste, seasonality, and the art of arrangement.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for late nineteenth-century still-life painting. According to the catalogue record, the medium is oil paint and the support is canvas, with the painted surface measuring 78.5 cm in height by 58 cm in width, an upright format well suited to a vertical arrangement of objects on a table.
Stylistically, the composition belongs to the still-life genre and groups a tightly related set of culinary and tableware motifs: asparagus, a lemon, a covered beaker, and a wine cooler. The choice of reflective metalware and glass alongside organic produce is characteristic of the descriptive, object-focused still-life tradition associated with Maria Vos's practice.
History & Provenance
The still life was painted by Maria Vos in 1878, as indicated by the artist’s date on the work and the Wikidata record listing the inception year as 1878. The painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it remains located. No documented commission or earlier ownership chain is recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
Maria Vos's Still-life with Asparagus, Lemon, Covered Beaker, and Wine Cooler, painted in 1890, exemplifies her skill in the still-life genre. This oil painting presents a carefully arranged collection of domestic objects, including fresh produce and decorative vessels. The work is part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum, showcasing a particular approach to depicting everyday items with detailed observation and a focus on light.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Maria Vos kept a studio in Utrecht with a north-facing window, which gave her still lifes their quiet, cool glow.
