Floris Van Schooten (1585/88-1656) - Still Life

Floris van Schooten (1585/88-1656)
Still Life

Oil on canvas, 121 x 85 cm

Provenance:
Private Collection

Floris van Schooten, a Dutch painter mainly active in Haarlem, is renowned for his detailed still lifes. This painting, attributed by the expert Fred G. Meijer, depicts an abundance of fruits arranged on tables and in various containers, making it a typical example of van Schooten's work. This artist, whose earliest traces date back to his registration in the Saint George militia of Haarlem in 1606, primarily painted still lifes, often kitchen or market scenes, with or without figures. He also created some paintings with biblical themes.

The painting in question, probably created in the 1630s or 1640s in Haarlem, presents a relatively low viewpoint, a characteristic of van Schooten's later works. This detail, along with the arrangement of the fruits, recalls other works by the artist, such as those held at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and dated to the 1620s. Here, van Schooten demonstrates great mastery in composition by placing the fruit containers at different levels to create a sense of depth. The rendering of textures and colors reflects his keen sense of observation and attention to detail.

This still life illustrates the wealth of agricultural products of the time and reflects the influence of 17th-century Dutch culture, marked by economic prosperity and a growing interest in the realistic representation of everyday objects. The choice of fruits, the nuances of colors, and the soft light emanating from the canvas make this painting a remarkable example of the Dutch still life genre.