Still
Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar
(oil on canvas, 1669)
Indianapolis
Museum of Art
Still
Life Painting
Willem
Kalf was one of the greatest Dutch masters of a type of
still life painting called 'pronkstilleven', a term that
could be translated as 'ostentatious still life'. These
still lifes displayed an array of luxurious possessions
that reflected the lifestyle of the wealthy in seventeenth
century Holland. Venetian glass, Chinese porcelain and
Turkish carpets bedecked with ornamental gold and silverware
were painted as status symbols, to be hung in the homes
of the affluent patrons who commissioned them. However
the choice of objects was not always for spectacle alone
as they sometimes carried a symbolic significance. Although
only the rich could afford such rare artifacts, which
were usually imported from distant lands, their inclusion
in a painting could be interpreted as a patriotic tribute
to the prosperity of Dutch trade. The inclusion of citrus
fruits alongside wine is often read as encouraging moderation
in the use of alcohol, as lemon juice was added to wine
to reduce its potency and for medicinal effect.
'Still
Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar' is a typical example
of Kalf's mature work which was painted in Amsterdam,
where he finally settled in 1653. His works of this period
are remarkably similar in style. They all depict a collection
of rare or expensive objects, usually combined with exotic
foods and arranged on a tabletop against a very dark background.
Kalf was also an art dealer who had easy access to many
of the the objets d'art that appear in his still
lifes. Consequently some of these items often reappear
in different works. For example, you can see the Turkish
rug, silver tray and the ornamental knife from 'Still
Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar' in many other paintings
of his Amsterdam period.
'Still
Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar' is not simply a painting
of luxurious objects, it is a luxurious object in itself,
even more desirable than the items it depicts. Kalf painted
the picture to display his skills as an artist and to
demonstrate a level of craftsmanship that surpasses the
quality of his subject matter.
At
this time, realistic representation in art was valued
as a measure of artistic quality, but Kalf pushes his
image beyond mere technique. He adjusts the lighting across
the painting to extract as much drama as possible from
the subject. The overall light for the picture comes from
the top left but he has heightened and dampened certain
areas to control the effects of texture, pattern, tone
and colour within the composition. He subdues the tones
of the Venetian glassware (probably Dutch copies) whose
transparent forms are picked out of the darkness with
reflections and refractions of light. To counterbalance
their delicate appearance, he intensifies the light on
the Ming jar and fruit. This has the effect of heightening
both their pattern and texture. The jar, which is emblazoned
with a bold blue and white pattern, also subtly reflects
the surrounding objects in the gloss of its glaze, while
the lemon, whose waxy skin spirals down from its juicy
segments, echoes the design on the Chinese jar. Throughout
the composition Kalf continues to manipulate light and
shade to tune the pitch of pattern and texture across
the work. Twisting baroque decoration resonates through
each object: the ornamental stems of the glassware, the
rippling rim of the silver tray which is repeated in miniature
on the lid of the little chronometer or compass, the tendrils
of pattern on the porcelain jar, the hand-woven design
on the the rug, the marbling on the stone table top and
finally, the carefully arranged coil of lemon rind.
This
is a classic Dutch still life from the Baroque period
which emphasises the grandeur that appealed to the merchant
classes in 17th century Holland.
Key
Notes about Willem Kalf
