A garland of fruits - Joris van Son (1623 - 1667)

Joris van Son (baptised 1623 – Antwerp, 1667) was a Southern Netherlandish painter, best known for his still lifes. He became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1643/44. No teacher of his is known, but his work is clearly influenced by Jan Davidsz. de Heem. In his garlands the influence of Daniel Seghers is also visible. He had several pupils, among them Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger and Frans van Everbroeck. He often painted pronk still lifes (sumptuous still lifes), fruit pieces and breakfast pieces.
His still lifes almost always contain fruit, often of kinds that were not native but imported. Sprigs of cherries or raspberries give his compositions great lightness. In his tabletop still lifes the objects lie on a table or ledge in such a way that an intimacy with the viewer is created. His work was appreciated by collectors, and his paintings hung, among others, in the collection of the painter Victor Wolfvoet.

We see a fruit garland with grapes, peaches, oranges or mandarins, raspberries, wild strawberries, figs and plums. One of the figs has been cut open. At the top lies an ear of wheat, and below we see a few roses, a white one, a pink one and a bud. Here and there small insects can be seen, such as flies and ants. Grapes and wheat may also refer to wine and bread, the Eucharist.
This kind of representation can refer to the vanitas idea: a reflection on the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. Flies are regarded as a symbol of decay and sin, and on fresh fruit they announce decay. The flies and ants also refer to antiquity and the artists’ anecdotes about illusionism. According to Pliny, Zeuxis painted grapes so lifelike that birds pecked at them, and according to Vasari the young Giotto painted a fly on a work by his master Cimabue, who tried to chase it away. The insects on the grapes thus also show the painter’s skill.

Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 46 x 38 cm, 62 x 55 cm (framed)