Lot 1045 Dα

This work shows a large pie, white bread and biscuits, various types of cheese, olives, and nuts accompanied by wine and beer. In the Netherlands, these still life depictions of laden tables were known as “banketje”. The motif originated in Antwerp and was popularised in Haarlem by artists such as Floris van Dijck, Pieter Claesz., Nikolaes Gillis, and Floris van Schooten.
The table is depicted as if seen slightly from above, in order to better present the various dishes. The foods we see are the kinds of things that only the wealthy could afford, including the wine, white bread, and cheeses. The exclusive nature of the depiction continues in the flatware upon which the foods are presented: Porcelain, pewter beakers, pewter plates, and finely worked cutlery were the privilege of a wealthy few.
Painters of still lifes such as this proved their skill in the illusionistic depiction of the various foods and vessels: The materiality of the pewter beakers, the surface textures of the butter and cheese, and the reflections on the glasses and plates. This “banketje” is characterised by its balanced composition, with the large pie placed in the centre of the table and the other plates arranged harmoniously around it, punctuated by the vertical accents of the cups and glasses.