In this “Still Life with Lemon and Cut Glass,” Maria Margaretha van Os orchestrates a visual symphony of striking elegance.
The composition, of calculated harmony, reveals the artist’s extraordinary technical mastery.
At the center, a partially peeled lemon reveals its juicy flesh, creating a luminous contrast against the dark background. Its spiral of peel, rendered with almost tactile precision, dialogues with the sparkling facets of the cut glass on the left. This goblet, a true technical feat, subtly captures and refracts light, testifying to the artist’s virtuosity in rendering materials. The delicate blue flowers and the lightly posed butterfly bring life and movement to this meticulously orchestrated scene. The reddish-orange tablecloth, a warm foundation for this composition, anchors the ensemble in an atmosphere both intimate and solemn, characteristic of the refinement of Dutch still life painting.
Additional Information:
- “Still Life with Lemon and Cut Glass” by Maria Margaretha van Os, 1823-1826
- 27 x 23 cm
- The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
- https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/Still-Life-with-Lemon-and-Cut-Glass–4e4a5ef49776f9e9e66cfcfe95b4df1d
Maria Margaretha van Os (1779-1862) belongs to the prestigious tradition of Dutch still life painters while bringing her own sensibility. Coming from an illustrious family of artists, she distinguished herself in a field then dominated by men. Her impeccable technique, inherited partly from her father Jan van Os, is characterized by meticulous attention to detail and a profound understanding of light.
At a time when the still life genre was experiencing a certain decline, van Os maintained the excellence of this tradition while infusing it with a freshness and delicacy all her own, as evidenced by the exquisite precision with which she treats each element of this composition.
