National Gallery Londres
OST - 86x102 - 1653
The drinking-horn in this still life was made of a single buffalo horn
set into a silver mount which features Saint Sebastian, patron saint of
archers, who was bound to a tree as a target for two Roman soldiers. It dates
from 1565 and is kept today in the Amsterdam Historisch Museum. The horn
suggests that the painting was probably commissioned by a member of the
Amsterdam archers' guild.
The artist has chosen the objects shown for their magnificent colour and texture. The sparkle of the lobster, the gleam of the lemon, the subtle texture of the carpet, all demonstrate the play of light over different surfaces. A contemporary viewer would have recognised the objects as expensive luxury items that only the wealthy would have been able to afford.
This still-life painting – one of the most popular genres in seventeenth-century Holland – celebrates the challenges of depicting the play of light on different surfaces and textures. Look at the subtle highlights on the weave of the Turkish carpet, the sheen and lustre on silver and glass, the moist flesh of the lemon and waxy texture of its peel.
The objects chosen also evoke a sumptuous lifestyle. Lobster was a luxury dish and lemons were rare and expensive, as were the fine glass, the oriental rug and silver tableware. It was probably commissioned by a member, or members, of the Saint Sebastian Archers' Guild in Amsterdam. The base of the silver mount which holds the drinking horn depicts Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom – he was tied up and shot with arrows – while the support underneath the table has been carved into a figure of the Roman god Cupid, famous for his arrows of love.
The artist has chosen the objects shown for their magnificent colour and texture. The sparkle of the lobster, the gleam of the lemon, the subtle texture of the carpet, all demonstrate the play of light over different surfaces. A contemporary viewer would have recognised the objects as expensive luxury items that only the wealthy would have been able to afford.
This still-life painting – one of the most popular genres in seventeenth-century Holland – celebrates the challenges of depicting the play of light on different surfaces and textures. Look at the subtle highlights on the weave of the Turkish carpet, the sheen and lustre on silver and glass, the moist flesh of the lemon and waxy texture of its peel.
The objects chosen also evoke a sumptuous lifestyle. Lobster was a luxury dish and lemons were rare and expensive, as were the fine glass, the oriental rug and silver tableware. It was probably commissioned by a member, or members, of the Saint Sebastian Archers' Guild in Amsterdam. The base of the silver mount which holds the drinking horn depicts Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom – he was tied up and shot with arrows – while the support underneath the table has been carved into a figure of the Roman god Cupid, famous for his arrows of love.
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