Lot 1286 Dα

The entire oeuvre of the Amsterdam painter Jan Fris is not very extensive, therefore, signed and authentic works by his hand are quite rare. This painting from his mature period shows a so-called "Toebackje", a still life with tobacco. Bergström classifies this theme as a Vanitas still life where painter and viewer were supposed to reflect the passage of all worldly things (I. Bergström: Dutch Still Life Painting in the Seventeenth Century, London, New York 1956, p. 154 ff.). Vanitas paintings guide the viewer to reflect and contemplate deeply the mazes of the world, the vain pursuit for power, fame and enjoyment, and confront him with his own mortality and and the vanishing of time (H.J. Raupe: Dutch Painting of the Seventeenth Century, Münster 2004).
On a tabletop the painter has distributed several objects, in the centre, a white clay pipe is prominently shown, its mouthpiece emitting a fine line of smoke. Next to it extinguishing pieces of coal in a broken clay vessel can be seen, while at the back an undamaged Raeren jug with the Amsterdam coat of arms is displayed. On the left is a deck of cards with the six-of-hearts at the front left. In a Vanitas painting, the cards represent the game that is not only a waste of time but also of money.