The Still Life Still Lives

The still life theme has always been present in Western art. It originated in Ancient Egypt and futher developed during the Classical period. Like any other genre, it has experienced some ups and downs, sometimes disappearing from the pictorial language for several decades at a time before being revived again.

At the brink of the Renaissance, still life painting was wholly re-integrated into the art world and finally went on to become an important discipline within its own right. Especially in The Netherlands, where artists favoured the incorporation of allegorical themes and symbols during the 17th century.

In the past few decades, there has been a rise in the popularity of still life paintings in the Netherlands. Whereas some artists choose to apply traditional techniques, others are reinventing the discipline.

To illustrate this movement, we have chosen five still life paintings from the established Gallery Wijdemeren that provide some insight into modern Dutch still life painting.


Jaap Weijand (1886 - 1960)


_{Jaap Weijand, Vanitas still-life, oil on canvas, 100 x 75 cm.}
Jaap Weijand was a Dutch painter that worked in both Amsterdam and Paris. He was clearly inspired by Fauvism and Neo-Impressionism movements and incorporated these modern techniques into his oeuvre, as can be seen in the painting 'Vanitas', characterized by its distinctive Neo-Impressionist touch.

However, Weijand also referred to Dutch traditions by depicting a skull in this still life, a typical characteristic of the 16th and 17th century Vanitas theme.


Theo Swagemakers (1898 – 1994)


_{Theo Swagemakers, Still-life, 1969, oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm.}
Theo Swagemakers received lessons from the still life painter Jan Petrus van Delft (1879 – 1952). He was inspired by Kees van Dongen and the Impressionists, and attended the Academy Colorossi in Paris.

Over the years, Theo became a renowned portraitist. However, his true passion remained still life painting, a passion which he - quite productively - performed in his spare time. He was later nicknamed the 'Morandi of the North' because of the resembling colour palette. Around 125 of Swagemakers' works reside in the permanent collection at Gallery Wijdemeren.


Henk Bos (1901 – 1979)


_{Henk Bos, Still-life with eggs, oil on canvas, 23 x 30 cm.}
Henk Bos already expressed a keen interest in old master still lifes at a very young age. He took up still life painting as a hobby and soon received the nickname 'The New Rembrandt' in the United States, after which he also became popular in the Netherlands.

Bos was very strict about using the same traditional techniques as the old masters, something that went on to become a huge trend in the art world.


Annelies Jonkhart (1945)


_{Annelies Jonkhart, Still-life with East Indian cress, oil on panel, 35 x 51 cm.} 


'Fijnschilder' Annelies also uses traditional techniques to create extremely realistic still lifes. The objects in her paintings often show some signs of decay, which form a sharp contrast to the blooming flowers and fresh fruits that are usually depicted in such paintings.

She does however use a bright colour palette and her compositions are very well balanced, which makes the work very refreshing to look at.


René Smoorenburg (1954)


_{René Smoorenburg, Still-life with figs, 30 x 40 cm, oil on panel.} 


René Smoorenburg (header image) is another contemporary artist that looks to old master still life paintings for inspiration. He depicts everyday objects in a meticulous fashion, emphasizing their beauty through his use of colour, composition and lighting.

In this painting of figs we can clearly distinguish a triangle composition. The lighting has been slightly exaggerated but the strong colours cause the figs to really stand out.

As has become evident from these artworks, traditional still life painting has re-gained its popularity in the past few decades after artists such as Weijand and Swagemakers started expressing an interest in the subject.

Painters such as Smoorenburg, Jonkhart and Bos continued to add a modern twist to the Dutch legacy. Thanks to Gallery Wijdemeren for offering us a glimpse into this enjoyable and renewed world of still life painting!

For more still-life's and other art please have a look at Gallerease!