Dutch golden age artists observed the visual world closely and produced and mastered techniques to represent it. Still live were a great way for painters were able to showcase their skills in painting texture and surfaces in great detail along with realistic lighting effects. Osaias Beert’s painting Still- Life with Various Vessels on a Table focuses on the prosperity that trade brings to the country and the food for a higher standing, whereas Pieter Claesz’s Still Life with Wine-Goblet and Oysters focuses on simplicity and the simple meals found on all tables.
Beert’s still life Still Life with Various Vessels on a Table gives the viewer a high viewpoint with a tilted table. These two things allow the objects on the table to be seen without obstruction and preserve the individual character of his compositional elements. The objects within the painting are carefully arranged and structured. They are contained inside their respective plates, bowls, or glass. The table is densely filled with goods but still balanced in composition. There are oysters on a metal platter in the left foreground and a plate of shells to the right of it. Behind it, a porcelain bowl is overfilled with sweets, and behind that there’s a plate of chestnuts and a plate of raisin. Elegant venetian-style glasses hold red and white wine. The painting depicts rare and expensive delicacies. The angle of the table and the swirl of the curtain leads the eye into the background.
The plate with the sweets