Still Life with Fruit and Flower Garlands 1645 - 1650

Jacob van Campen created this still life with oil on canvas, sometime in the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age. It presents a basket of fruit in an architectural niche next to a garland. The Dutch Golden Age was a period of immense wealth for the Dutch Republic, largely due to its dominance in international trade. This wealth led to the development of a large merchant class and an unprecedented interest in art, leading to an art market that was not dependent on the church or aristocracy, but on private citizens. A genre like still life becomes popular in this context, speaking to the comforts of Dutch life. The question for the social historian is what role this kind of imagery played in the formation of Dutch national identity. The key here is to look at Dutch archives, publications and domestic records. The meaning of this painting lives in its historical context.