Artwork
Pronk Still Life with Holbein Bowl, Nautilus Cup, Glass Goblet and Fruit Dish
Pronk Still Life with Holbein Bowl, Nautilus Cup, Glass Goblet and Fruit Dish is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Willem Kalf. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Willem Kalf’s 1678 oil painting Pronk Still Life with Holbein Bowl, Nautilus Cup, Glass Goblet and Fruit Dish presents an opulent arrangement of luxury objects, including a nautilus cup, a glass goblet, and a fruit dish, set on a richly draped tabletop. The composition draws on Dutch Golden Age conventions of still life to celebrate material abundance while subtly invoking moralizing themes of transience and the fleeting nature of wealth.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on canvas, a hallmark of Dutch Golden Age still‑life practice.
The work is executed in oil on canvas, a hallmark of Dutch Golden Age still‑life practice. Kalf’s handling of light emphasizes the translucency of the glass goblet and the rich texture of fruit, while the meticulously rendered nautilus cup and Holbein‑style bowl showcase his fascination with exotic objects. The composition balances precise detail with a harmonious palette, creating a formal still‑life arrangement that reflects the opulence of 17th‑century Dutch interiors.
History & Provenance
The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is recorded under accession number KMS3336.
It has been exhibited in Copenhagen at the Statens Museum for Kunst in 1980 as part of a display of Dutch still lifes.
Overview
Willem Kalf’s 1690 oil painting, titled Pronk Still Life with Holholz Bowl, Nautilus Cup, Glass Goblet and Fruit Dish, presents a carefully arranged tableau on a darkened tabletop. A gleaming golden bowl with its lid, a blue‑and‑white porcelain dish, a few apples, a transparent goblet and a spiraled nautilus shell are set beside a tarnished metal tray, while a frayed, fringed cloth drapes over the edge.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Willem Kalf (1619 – 31 July 1693) was one of the most prominent Dutch still-life painters of the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age.
