Still Life with Flowers and Fruit 1815 - 1830

Eelke Jelles Eelkema made this still life painting with oil on canvas. It presents an abundance of flowers and fruit, overflowing from a large vase. This imagery reflects the values of the Biedermeier period in Northern Europe during the first half of the 19th century. Following the Napoleonic era, there was a turn towards domesticity and private life. This painting celebrates the beauty of nature and the pleasures of the home, featuring a decorative scene with produce from faraway lands. The cultural institutions of the time, such as art academies and salons, favored this restrained style over more overtly political or historical subjects. Eelkema was based in the Netherlands, a nation with a rich history of trade. His inclusion of a pineapple could allude to the importance of commerce in this region. It would have been an expensive and exotic import at the time. By researching the economic history of the Netherlands and the artistic conventions of the Biedermeier period, we can better understand the cultural context of this still life and what it meant to its original audience.