Artwork
Delft Fruit Bowl and two Vases of Flowers
Delft Fruit Bowl and two Vases of Flowers is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Tomás Yepes. It dates from 1642 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This symbolic layering aligns with the broader tradition of vanitas imagery, where everyday objects serve as reminders of mortality and divine order.
The painting shows a modest tabletop arrangement of fruit and two flower vases, a typical example of 17th‑century Spanish still life that emphasizes abundance and transience. The depicted objects, ripe figs, peeled lemon, and a porcelain vase, carry symbolic associations with wealth, temporality, and the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures, reflecting contemporary Spanish moral themes. By placing these items together, the work suggests a contemplation of material wealth against the inevitability of decay, a common motif in Baroque devotional art.
The composition also incorporates subtle references to Spanish colonial trade, as the fruit and ceramics hint at imported luxuries, reinforcing the cultural exchange between Spain and its overseas territories during the mid‑1600s. This symbolic layering aligns with the broader tradition of vanitas imagery, where everyday objects serve as reminders of mortality and divine order.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting the still life genre of the 17th century. The artist employed a realistic compositional approach, arranging fruit and floral elements within a table setting to achieve balanced formal harmony. The handling of light and color demonstrates the Baroque emphasis on naturalistic detail and textural contrast.
History & Provenance
Delft Fruit Bowl and two Vases of Flowers was created by Tomás Yepes in 1642, executed in oil paint. The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains located. No additional details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or earlier provenance are documented in the available sources.
The work, a still life measuring 67 cm in height by 96 cm in width, has been part of the Museo del Prado's holdings, though the specific circumstances of its acquisition and any prior ownership history are not recorded in the provided information.
The painting Delft Fruit Bowl and two Vases of Flowers by Tomás Yepes is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Created in 1642, the work is executed in oil on canvas and depicts a still life arrangement on a table. While the sources confirm its location within the museum's holdings, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they list any past or current exhibitions for this piece.
Context
The painting was created in 1642 by Tomás Yepes, who is identified in the sources as the artist of this still life genre work. Depicting a table arrangement with fruit and flowers, it belongs to the broader tradition of Spanish still life painting, though specific connections to other artists or movements are not detailed in the provided materials. The artwork is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it is part of the collection's still life holdings.
Overview
Created in 1642 by the Valencian Baroque painter Tomás Yepes, this oil painting presents a still‑life composition centered on a large Delft‑style bowl overflowing with apples, accompanied by two red vases filled with white blossoms and a scattering of green nuts. The objects rest on a marble‑looking tabletop against a deep, almost black background that heightens the vivid colors of the fruit and flowers.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Tomás de Yepes or Hiepes (also known as Thomas de Yepes or Hiepes; 1595 or 1600 – 16 June 1674) was a Spanish Baroque painter in the Kingdom of Valencia.
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