Still Life with a Pewter Flagon and Two Ming Bowls, Jan Jansz. Treck

Still Life with a Pewter Flagon and Two Ming Bowls, Jan Jansz. Treck (1651)

Here Jan Jansz. Treck has risen to the challenge of evoking the lustre of and distorted reflections in silver, pewter, glass, porcelain and eggshells as well as the complex shadows in a crumpled linen cloth. It was a highly valued skill in Dutch still-life painting and this rather beautiful example of the genre has a particularly calm aesthetic.

The overall colour scheme is muted, dominated by greys, greens and browns – only the bright red berries stand out. To our eyes, the selection of objects also seems quite mundane: it’s the aftermath of a meal, where the plates, dishes, and a flagon have been temporarily pushed to one side, together with a discarded napkin. But the two blue and white dishes are not normal domestic tableware. They are very expensive late Ming-period Chinese porcelain. These were exotic and highly desirable goods, and this painting is a celebration of luxury.