Still Life with Fruit and Birds 1636 - 1691

Peeter Gijsels created this still life with oil paint, presenting us with a sumptuous display of fruit and birds. Gijsels, working in the 17th century, painted during a time when the Dutch Republic was a major center for trade and prosperity, and his work offers insight into the cultural values of the time, celebrating abundance and the rewards of commerce. The painting contains familiar objects, but it also reminds us of the power dynamics of the era. Gijsels’ still life elevates what is traditionally seen as domestic, and yet, his perspective as a male artist in a patriarchal society cannot be overlooked. Consider the absence of women who were often responsible for preparing and serving such food. The dead birds might evoke a sense of vulnerability, highlighting the relationship between consumption, control, and nature. How does it feel to see this presentation of abundance when so many went without?