Pieter Claesz: Master of Haarlem Still Life

Pieter Claesz is one of the most important still-life painters of the Dutch seventeenth century. His work is noted for the realistic portrayal of the various elements of the still-life, almost to the point of being tangible. The sobriety preached at the time (from around 1630 onwards) is expressed in the monochrome pallet of his modest little banquets and breakfasts. His humble ingredients: bread, cheese, wine, a half-eaten herring, offered in pewter, glass, and porcelain tablewares, seldom varied. His still lifes were balanced, detailed, and tranquil. In 1620, Claesz took up residence in Haarlem where he founded a school of still-life painting. This book focuses on the period 1620-1645 in which Claesz developed the still-life to perfection. He was an artist that transformed the daily and the mundane into a momentous scene emanating a radiant beauty, using the simplest of means. Approximately fifty works are shown that well represent this important artist's evolution.