Who painted Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe?

Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe was painted by Jan Jansz van de Velde in mid 1650s.

Where can I see Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe?

Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe?

Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe?

Museum-quality prints of Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe

Jan Jansz van de Velde , 1654

Still Life with Stoneware Jug and Pipe is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Jan Jansz van de Velde. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower center, on the edge of the table: Jan van de.Velde. fecit; on the belly of the jug: 1650

About this work

A stoneware jug stamped 1650 anchors this modest tabletop scene by Jan Jansz van de Velde III, a Haarlem painter who made his name on pipes, beer glasses, and earthenware rather than silver. Barely fourteen by eleven inches, the panel carries the diffused light and tactile precision of Dutch Golden Age still life. The National Gallery of Art acquired it in 2019.

Technique & Style

The painting is executed in oil on a wooden panel, measuring 35.9 × 27.9 cm. It is a still life depicting a stoneware jug, a Gouda clay pipe, a brazier, and tobacco. The available sources do not provide additional details about the technique, handling, or condition of the work.

History & Provenance

Richard Green Fine Art, London, acquired it at that sale, and the National Gallery of Art purchased it in June 2019.

Jan Jansz van de Velde III painted this still life in 1650. Its earliest recorded owner was Pierre-Edmond-Marie Le Boucq, vicomte de Ternas (1866–1948). The painting passed to his daughter Geneviève Le Boucq (1899–1962) and then to her son Jean de Blocquel de Croix de Wismes (1930–2001), remaining in the family by descent.

It was consigned through Eric Turquin for sale at Audap & Mirabaud, Drouot Richelieu, on 22 June 2018 (lot 116). Richard Green Fine Art, London, acquired it at that sale, and the National Gallery of Art purchased it in June 2019.

Overview

Jan Jansz van de Velde III created this intimate oil on panel, depicting everyday objects associated with smoking and drinking. Executed around the mid-1650s, the work features a stoneware jug dated 1650, anchoring a modest arrangement of tavern items. The artist's signature is subtly placed along the table's edge, inviting viewers into a quiet domestic space. This small-scale painting exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age focus on humble subjects and their inherent beauty.

Subject & Meaning

This still life centers on simple, common objects reflecting middle-class leisure activities of the 17th century. A stoneware jug, a clay pipe, and other tavern items are carefully arranged, suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation or a pause from daily life. Unlike the lavish banquet scenes favored by some contemporaries, Van de Velde III chose to elevate these unpretentious elements, highlighting their inherent beauty and the everyday rituals they represent.