Still Life with Fruit on a Table 1620 - 1623

Frans Snijders created this still life with oil on canvas. These luscious displays of fruit were popular in the Flemish region during the 17th century. A painting like this offers a window onto the growing wealth and global trade networks of the time. Antwerp, where Snijders was based, was a major port city, bringing exotic goods from around the world to the tables of the wealthy. Beyond mere representation, these still lifes served as symbols of status and abundance. The overflowing baskets and bowls speak to a society grappling with newfound affluence. Notice the asymmetry, which creates an impression of casual abundance, a deliberate aesthetic choice. As art historians, we look at trade records, domestic inventories, and even cookbooks to better understand the social meanings embedded in these images. By looking at the economic and social context in which a painting like this was made, we can start to understand what it meant to the people who commissioned and viewed it.