Still Life 1607

Clara Peeters painted this still life in the early 17th century, at a time when the Netherlands was a rising commercial power. Peeters challenges the norms of her time by taking on a genre dominated by men. The image creates meaning through visual codes; this displays a collection of luxury goods that reflect the rising prosperity of the Dutch Golden Age. The objects in this picture – the wine glasses, the silver tray, the pretzels, the jewellery and the burning candle – were all consumer goods becoming increasingly available to the middle classes. The fly reminds us of the ephemeral nature of earthly pleasures, while the burning candle is a vanitas symbol representing the passage of time. Historians might consult probate inventories and commercial records from the period to understand more about the value of these goods and the social conditions that shaped artistic production in the Dutch Golden Age.