Perziken, pruimen, druiven en braam 1820 - 1833

Anton Weiss made this drawing of peaches, plums, grapes, and a bramble. The absence of a date makes it difficult to place the work within the artist's career. It could be an early work, or something made later in his life. Still life as a genre in the 19th century was deeply embedded in social and economic conditions. The careful arrangement of objects could reflect the growing affluence of the middle class. It could also suggest the rise of consumer culture and the increasing availability of luxury goods, even to some outside the aristocracy. The fact that Weiss, of German origin, made this drawing in the Netherlands, a country renowned for its still-life paintings, adds another layer to its meaning. To understand this drawing better, we might look into the history of fruit cultivation and trade in the Netherlands during this period. We might research the patronage of the artist, and his place within artistic institutions. Only then can we fully appreciate its social and cultural significance.