Willem kalf biography of abraham

Still-Life

The rise of still-life in Northern Europe (primarily centred in Antwerp, Leiden, Middelburg, Haarlem and Leiden) was prompted by the establishment of a growing middle class, who increasingly had money to spend on items such as oil painting.

While flower painting became associated with Antwerp and The Hague (Jan Brueghel the Elder , being a main proponent), monochrome banquet still lifes became the speciality of Leiden artists like David Bailly () and Jan Davidsz de Heem.

Amsterdam meantime, was becoming a city packed with wealthy merchants, and those merchants wanted ostentatious displays of their wealth.

Willem kalf biography of abraham lincoln

Kalf and van Beyeren became the most important practitioners in the luxurious painting market, producing highly realistic Pronkstilleven (display) still-lifes. They painted still lifes with imported exotic fruit, expensive Turkish carpets, Chinese porcelain and silver and gold vessels, depicted in a glistening, velvety atmosphere.

Two examples by