Still Life with Fruit, Glassware, and a Wanli Bowl
Willem Kalf, 1659
About this artwork
Willem Kalf's *Still Life with Fruit,ware, and a Wan Bowl* (1659), an exquisite oil on canvas measuring 23 x 20 inches, captures the opulent still life tradition of the Dutch Golden Age. Kalf, a master ofpronkstilleven* (ornate still lifes), arranges lemons, glassware, and a rare Wanli porcelain bowl—imported from Ming Dynasty China—against a dark background, evoking luxury and abundance from Holland's prosperous trade era. Painted during a time of economic boom fueled by the Dutch East India Company, the work showcases Kalf's virtuosic techniques: dramatic chiaroscuro lighting that highlights glistening fruit peels and reflective glass surfaces, rendering textures with remarkable realism. The Wanli bowl, a coveted exotic import, symbolizes global commerce and the era's fascination with Eastern artistry. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection, this piece exemplifies 17th-century still life's dual role as celebration of wealth and subtle *vanitas* reminder of life's fleeting pleasures, inviting viewers to marvel at its luminous detail and historical depth.