Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie by Willem Claesz Heda was created in 1631. The painting is in Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden. The size of the work is 54 x 82 cm and is made of oil on wood.
About the Work
Heda’s picture is full of snapshots that point to the fleeting nature of human existence and at the same time admonish us to live frugally. The sugar used in the sweet pâté came from South America. The Dutch trading companies transported enslaved people from Africa there on their ships in exchange for the coveted raw material. Discover more in Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden.
About the Artist
Willem Claeszoon Heda (December 14, 1593/1594 – c. 1680/1682) was a Dutch Golden Age artist from the city of Haarlem devoted exclusively to the painting of still life. He is known for his innovation of the late breakfast genre of still life painting.
Heda was born in Haarlem, the son of the Haarlem city architect Claes Pietersz. His mother Anna Claesdr was a member of the Heda family. His uncle was the painter Cornelis Claesz Heda. Heda’s early life is all but unknown, with no surviving pieces dated to that period. Judging from his date of birth, scholars have speculated that Heda began painting around 1615.
His earliest known work was a Vanitas which fit the monochromatic and skillful texturing of his later pieces, but portrayed a subject matter distinct from the depictions of more sumptuous objects in his later years. This Vanitas, and the two other breakfast pieces by Heda in the 1620s were known for their clear deviation from earlier breakfast-pieces. The objects in these works demonstrate greater special effect and maintain a sense of balance for the viewer despite the uneven and diagonal grouping of objects. Additionally, these works adopted the monochromatic style contrary to early breakfast-pieces. Read more in Wikipedia
Order a reproduction of this work (printed on canvas)
