Work Clara Peeters

still life nuts, candy , flowers, 1611, artist reflected several times in metal pieces

there more information works of life. peeters signed thirty-one works clara peeters or clara p. , , dated many of them, leaving strong record of work 1607 1621. eighteen of these completed time eighteen years old. in addition, seventy-six works speculated in oeuvre, although documentation lacking assign them affirmatively peeters. several of paintings, including 2 illustrated here, carry signature represented engraved inscription on side of handle of same decorated knife. knife has 2 nude female figures, no doubt allegorical, on main face of handle visible, , typical of sort of brides knife (bruidmessen) antwerp silversmiths produced around 1595‒1600. these may represent real knife owned peeters, or imagined one.

peeters in earliest group of painters of still lifes , flowers, while genre still new. fewer ten paintings of flowers , fewer 5 of food produced in netherlands can dated before 1608, when painted first recorded work. painted set of 4 larger usual (all 50‒51 × 71‒73 cm) still lifes, 3 dated 1611, in spanish royal collection following century , in prado. set includes earliest still-life of dead game birds, if jacopo de barbari s famous still-life partridge , gauntlets (1504, munich) different tradition excepted. prado group split between spanish palaces in 18th century, earliest inventory record being in 1734, when 1 rescued in fire destroyed royal alcazar of madrid. paintings of fish , game of 1611 five-to-twenty years before find other artists using similar subject matter. influence on dutch , flemish artists evidenced not subject matter, in progressive use of monochrome palette, low viewing angle, more compact format , limited number of objects.

still life silver-gilt tazza

peeters work abandons elevated viewpoint typical of beert, , seen in work dated 1607 illustrated here, lower viewpoint, remain more typical of later works artists. in work front of table @ bottom edge of composition, again typical of beert. in later works there wider margin @ bottom of picture, , further edge of table comes lower down picture space, though dark background remains featureless.

in works before 1620, peeters fascinated fall of light on metal objects: coins, goblets, pewter dishes, etc. , reflections. in manner jan van eyck included portrait in reflection of mirror in arnolfini wedding portrait (1434), peeters included miniature self-portraits within reflections painted. depicted herself in reflection of goblets , gilt-cups of many of paintings , may have been artist popularize technique. skilled @ distinguishing textures. in still-life of fish , cat, coat of cat touchable , reflections create illusion of space. believe religious symbolism prevalent in paintings; here fish, symbol of christ, placed in position of cross. peeters changed style after 1620, employing monochromatic color scheme humble subject matter of stacked cheeses, bread , simple jugs.

although highly specialized form of still life helped develop went out of fashion in flanders, contributions formation of banquet , breakfast piece in antwerp @ beginning of 17th century has long been recognized. painters nicolaes cave, artus claessens , floris van dyck worked in style close of peeters.