Artwork
Still Life with Quinces, Medlars and a Glass
Still Life with Quinces, Medlars and a Glass is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Martinus Nellius. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
5 cm and exemplifies Dutch Golden Age still life composition through precise rendering of fruit textures and careful spatial arrangement.
Martinus Nellius painted Still Life with Quinces, Medlars and a Glass using oil on a wooden panel in 1694. The work measures 41.5 cm by 34.5 cm and exemplifies Dutch Golden Age still life composition through precise rendering of fruit textures and careful spatial arrangement. Its handling appears restrained, reflecting contemporary practices of securing artworks within private collections before their acquisition by the Rijksmuseum and later display in curated exhibitions.
History & Provenance
Martinus Nellius painted Still Life with Quinces, Medlars and a Glass in 1694, an oil work measuring 41.5 cm by 34.5 cm on panel. The painting entered the collection of Daniel Franken before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. Its provenance is documented through these ownership transitions, confirming its creation history and dating to the late 17th century.
The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued under the accession number SK-A-2660. It entered the museum's holdings through the bequest of Daniel Franken, who donated his personal collection to the institution. The painting has been part of several exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum, including the 1956 exhibition 'Dutch Still Life from the Golden Age' and the 2005 showcase 'Dutch Masters: From the Rijksmuseum Collection'.
Context
Martinus Nellius painted Still Life with Quinces, Medlars and a Glass in 1694, an oil on panel work now held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The composition of fruit and glass reflects Dutch Golden Age still life conventions while demonstrating the artist's focus on precise botanical detail and luminous surface rendering. Scholarship emphasizes its significance within Nellius' limited oeuvre and its contribution to late 17th-century Dutch painting traditions.
Overview
Created in 1698, this oil painting by Martinus Nellius presents a compact still‑life arrangement on a darkened surface. Central to the composition are a luminous yellow quince, a cluster of small red medlars, and a few plums accompanied by green foliage, alongside scattered nuts and a reflective glass vessel. A faint, indistinct human figure appears at the lower edge, while the background is rendered in deep black, intensifying the visual impact of the fruit’s colors.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes ripe, varied fruit with modest kitchen objects, inviting contemplation of abundance and transience. The inclusion of a barely visible figure suggests a fleeting presence, perhaps alluding to the fleeting nature of sensory pleasures. By placing the fruit against an almost void backdrop, Nellius emphasizes their materiality and the fleeting moment of their display.
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