Abraham Van Calraet Still Life With Peaches, Butterflies And Shells Oil On Panel

Oil on oak panel in two boards, still life with peaches, butterflies and shells. Attributed to Abraham van Calraet, Dutch painter from Dordrecht. Quite representative of his style. Dimensions of the panel: 51 x 64.5 cm. Framed with a 19th century frame in carved and gilded wood. References: Abraham van Calraet was primarily an animal and landscape painter, but he also produced numerous still lifes. E. Gemar-Koeltzsch writes about him (see Holländische Stilllebenmaler im 17. Jahrhundert, vol. 2, Lingen, 1995, p. 212): "The still lifes of Abraham van Calraet almost always show peaches arranged in Chinese porcelain bowls or directly on trays, surrounded by grapes and butterflies and sometimes also shells and cherries. A very moderate impasto applied with a broad brush and translating into color the different textures of his objects, light and shadow are typical of the artist's painting style. Light is used to highlight a narrow area of the composition in order to set the pieces of fruit, mainly peaches, apart from the shaded and mostly very dark space. The hard shadows thus produced by the fruit give Calraet's works a certain drama..... A highly characteristic feature of Calraet's compositions is the velvety appearance of his peaches, whose soft, hairy surface seems deceptively real and appeals to the viewer's sense of touch. The painter's interest is entirely focused on these peaches, for which he also reserves the most powerful colors, vigorous reds and yellows.