Flemish School Of The 17th Century - Still Life With Fishes

Flemish school of the 17th century Oil on canvas 52 x 60 cm (66 x 76 cm with the frame) Very beautiful old frame in gilded wood The style of our painting is linked to the first stream of Flemish still life of the 17th century, with a side descriptive and meticulous reminiscent of the art of Osias Beert, Jacob van Es and Clara Peeters. The very simple presentation, the warm colors (browns and reds) and a greasy and shiny touch are particularly reminiscent of the art of Snyders. He is undoubtedly a painter specializing in fish close to the Antwerp painters Alexander Adriaenssen and Clara Peeters. The latter arranged the elements of their still lifes simply and detached, on a very dark background, focusing on rendering the reflections on metallic objects, pieces, dishes, vases and bowls and with a palette which becomes very reduced afterwards. 1620, tending towards monochrome harmonies of gray and brown. Still life painting is a symbol game. In the center the fish are a reference to Christians. They appear between on the left of the composition, a cup of blueberries, a symbol of immortality in the 17th century (myrtle being an evergreen shrub!) And on the right two clumps of butter in an earthen pot, the butter representing in the biblical exegesis the humanity of Christ as opposed to honey, which represents its divine nature, and a cut lemon testifying to the bitterness of existence offered! A pitcher behind evokes the wine and therefore the blood of Christ and therefore the sacrifice. The spoon in the center is an invitation to the viewer to taste the symbolic foods represented. And therefore to seek immortality through sacrifices by following the example of the humanity of Jesus Christ through sacrifices without avoiding the bitterness of life!