Still Life: Pit, Onions, Bread and Green Apples 

Meijer de Haan created this still life with oil paint, capturing humble objects. The objects: a pit, onions, bread, and green apples, arranged with care on a simple cloth. Still lifes traditionally symbolize mortality and the transience of life. The pit, a container, might represent containment and nurture, echoing the womb. In contrast, onions, with their layers, suggest hidden depths, mirroring the complexities of human emotions. Consider the recurring image of food across cultures, from ancient Roman frescoes to Dutch Golden Age paintings. Food carries social and symbolic meaning, representing sustenance, hospitality, and communal ties. Here, these basic foodstuffs evoke a sense of simplicity and raw, unadorned existence. De Haan presents a composition engaging our primal senses, inviting us to contemplate life’s fundamental elements. The arrangement, imbued with psychological weight, encourages us to reflect on our relationship with nourishment and existence.