Servant by a Larder Table

Entry

On the table are a variety of fruit and vegetables, most notably figs in a basket, a melon and artichokes; prominent also is a lobster on what could be a Kraak porcelain klapmuts; beyond is a silver-gilt bekerschroef (goblet holder) with a rummer, façon de Venise wine glass and a flagon.

Acquired as being perhaps by Anna-Maria van Schurman (1607-1678), the Dutch poetess and scholar, whose monogram was presumed to be the one present. But the monogram is thought not to be contemporary with the painting and is anyway unlikely to be that of Schurman, who is not known to have executed anything like the present painting. The mistaken reading of the inscription apart, it remains a mystery as to why her name should have been associated with this small copper, which would appear to be an insignificant work, however unusual.

The painting is clearly south Netherlandish and could perhaps be the work of two minor painters active in Antwerp about the middle of the seventeenth century, one responsible for the servant, the other for the still life. The style of collar worn by the Catholic serving woman was in fashion about 1635-45. The components of the still life would place it in the category of a pronk still life, developed in Antwerp in the 1640s; the rendering of the various elements in isolation is reminiscent of the work of Antwerp-based Jacob van Es (1596-1666), in particular of a signed still life at Schloss Mahrich Sternberg, near Olmuetz in the Czech Republic.² The theme of a servant by a table laden with food was an early speciality of Frans Snijders (1579-1657) working in Antwerp in conjunction with figure painters.³

Gregory Martin, 2022