Willem Kalf

Still Life with Fruit and Wineglasses on a Silver Plate

Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal
Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal
Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal
Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal
Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal
Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal

Willem Kalf
Still Life with Fruit and Wineglasses on a Silver Plate

On view in Room 10

Willem Kalf was one of the leading still life painters of the Dutch seventeenth century. His pronkstillevens (‘sumptuous still lifes’) always include a few luxury objects and exotic fruits placed against a dark background. He did this to great effect: the silver dish and glasses immediately draw attention with their sparkling light reflections. But here it is the vibrant citrus fruits that really seem to jump off the canvas.

For many years there were doubts about whether this painting really was by Kalf, but in 1995 the collector Van Dedem bought it anyway. That same year the artist’s signature was discovered. Van Dedem clearly had an excellent eye.

Technical details
Willem Kalf Stilleven met fruit en glazen op een zilveren schaal

Willem Kalf
Still Life with Fruit and Wineglasses on a Silver Plate

On view in Room 10

Gift of Willem, Baron van Dedem to the Friends of the Mauritshuis Foundation, 2002
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Details

General information
Artist Willem Kalf (Rotterdam 1619 - 1693 Amsterdam)
Title Still Life with Fruit and Wineglasses on a Silver Plate
Object name painting
Inventory number 1126
On view in Room 10
Material and technical details
Technique oil
Material canvas
Dimensions 49.3 x 42.9 cm
Inscriptions
Signed upper left: kalf

Provenance

5th Earl Spencer, by 1892; 8th Earl Spencer, Althorp, Northamptonshire; Robert Noortman Gallery, Maastricht; Diethelm Doll, Bad Godesberg; sale London, Christie’s, 8 December 1995, lot 42 (unsold); purchased after the sale by Willem, Baron van Dedem; gift of Willem, Baron van Dedem to the Friends of the Mauritshuis Foundation, 2002; on loan to Willem, Baron van Dedem, and his widow, London, 2002-2016