Still life with fruits and dishes

Willem van Aelst painted this still life with fruits and dishes in 1653 during his years in Florence, where he had moved to serve at the Medici court under Grand Duke Ferdinand II. This Italian period, which lasted from roughly 1649 to 1656, was formative for Van Aelst's development as a specialist in luxurious still life. The Palazzo Pitti, which holds this work, was the principal Medici residence and the context in which Van Aelst refined his taste for opulent, carefully arranged objects. Still lifes from this period often reflect the influence of Italian decorative culture — richer fabrics, more elaborate silver, a greater interest in the drama of cascading fruit — while retaining the meticulous surface rendering that was distinctly Dutch. Van Aelst had trained in Delft and had already worked in France before arriving in Italy; by 1653 he was fully capable of producing sophisticated compositions that pleased both Dutch and Italian taste. The fruits depicted would have signified seasonal abundance and the pleasures of an aristocratic table.

Van Aelst applies paint with exceptional delicacy, using fine sable brushes to render the bloom on grapes and the velvety skin of peaches. The transition from light to shadow on rounded fruits is achieved through a slow series of glazes rather than direct blending, producing the luminous, almost tactile quality associated with his mature work. Highlights are placed last, as small, precise touches of lead white mixed with a trace of the underlying colour.