Seafood, Onion, and Glassware

Dated 1679 and held in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, this still life with seafood, onion, and glassware represents a less common subject for Van Aelst than his hunting trophies or flower arrangements, but one that falls within the tradition of the Dutch kitchen still life or market scene. By 1679, Van Aelst was approaching the end of his career; he died around 1683, and his late works occasionally venture beyond his signature subjects. Dresden's Staatliche Kunstsammlungen assembled one of the finest collections of Dutch and Flemish still life outside the Netherlands, acquiring works through the vigorous collecting activities of the Saxon electors during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Seafood — oysters, lobster, fish — was a prestigious still life subject associated with coastal wealth and access to fresh marine produce, while the humble onion introduced a contrasting note of everyday kitchen life.

The translucency of fresh seafood and the opacity of onion skin require contrasting paint-handling strategies in the same composition. Oyster shells are rendered with a pearlescent interior glaze over a warm underpainting, while the rough exterior is treated with thicker, more textured paint. Glass vessels are handled with the spare, transparent wash technique characteristic of Van Aelst, with reflections and refractions indicated by precise strokes rather than overall tinting.