Still Lifes of Fruit and Animals

Towards the end of the 16th century, the depiction of inanimate objects gradually developes into a separate art genre, the still life. It flourishes in the Netherlands in the 17th century and developes in various forms. The Odesa collection includes several still lifes by painters based in Antwerp: Alexander Adriaenssen, Cornelis de Heem and Pieter Boel specialise in fish, ceremonial and hunting still lifes. They skilfully arrange fish, fruit, expensive tableware and hunted birds. Cornelis de Heem's Still Life with Lobster is a particularly striking expression of opulence and wealth. The artist masterfully stages delicacies and luxury goods.  His skill is evident in the extremely lifelike rendering of the objects.

Two paintings in dialogue:
 
Pieter Boel (Antwerp 1622 – Paris 1674)
Game and Fruit, 17th century
Oil on canvas
Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, inv. no. ЗЖ-113
 
Elias Vonck (Amsterdam 1605 – Amsterdam 1652)
Still Life with Birds, c. 1640
Oil on canvas
Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, inv. no. G 411
 
Pieter Boel is an outstanding animal painter, who knows how to depict the anatomy and appearance of animals in a particularly lifelike way. Here he combines hunted birds and a parrot with precious fruits from southern countries and arranges them on a massive stone slab.
Next to this sumptuous tableau, the colours and motifs in Elias Vonck’s still life appear significantly reduced. A single partridge stands out vividly against the stone niche, thanks to the painting‘s dramatic lighting. This simplicity sets the early Dutch animal still life apart from its more sumptuous Flemish counterparts.
 

Cornelis de Heem (Leiden 1631 – Antwerp 1695)
Still Life with Lobster, second half of the 17th century
Oil on canvas
Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, inv. no. ЗЖ-67
With a great skill fore staging, Cornelis de Heem juxtaposes exquisite fruit, seafood and vessels. In doing so, he emphasises different surface textures that create effective contrasts.
The ascending diagonal and individual motifs such as the blue box, the lobster and the bare wooden edge of the table can also be found in a similar fashion in the works by Cornelis’ father, Jan Davidsz de Heem. He made a decisive contribution to the development of the sumptuous still life, which combines Dutch and Flemish elements.

Two paintings in dialogue:
 
Alexander Adriaenssen (Antwerp 1587 – Antwerp 1661)
Fish, 1640 or 1646
Oil on wood
Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, inv. no. ЗЖ-70
                                                                                                                           
Jan Fris (?) (Amsterdam 1627/28 – Amsterdam 1672)
Still Life with Herring c. 1655
Oil on canvas
Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, inv. no. G 853
 
Adriaenssen is a much sought-after and prolific painter in the harbour city of Antwerp. His neighbour Peter Paul Rubens owns two of his works. Adriaenssen specialises in still lifes with raw fish, for which he often employs recurring motifs. He favours wooden panels in horizontal format and a brownish-silvery colour scheme.
The still life attributed to Jan Fris meanwhile shows a simple meal of cut up herring, onions, bread and beer. Herring is considered a meal for the poor and typically consumed during Lent. It is also said to possess a variety of effects, including that of an aphrodisiac.
[Audio guide no. 9]