Still Life with Violin and Engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, Dutch School

Artwork Overview

Still Life with Violin and Engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, Dutch School
Still Life with Violin and Engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, Dutch School
Dutch School
Still Life with Violin and Engraving of Arcangelo Corelli
circa 1730
Dutch School, artist
Still Life with Violin and Engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, circa 1730
Where object was made: Netherlands
Material/technique: oil; canvas
Dimensions:
Canvas/Support (Height x Width x Depth): 120 x 119.8 cm
Canvas/Support (Height x Width x Depth): 47 1/4 x 47 3/16 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 47 x 46 3/4 x 3 in
Credit line: Museum purchase
Accession number: 0000.0756
On display: Stewart Gallery
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Images

Label texts

Intersections

Light illuminates an arrangement of objects that includes a drinking cup fashioned from an ostrich egg, a blue and white porcelain jar, and imported citrus fruits on a silver tray. These luxury goods became available to Dutch middle- and upper-class consumers as a result of Dutch colonialism and trade power. While this painting celebrates the acquisition of these goods, it ignores the human suffering of the transatlantic slave trade that was intrinsically linked to their availability.

Intersections

Light illuminates an arrangement of objects that includes a drinking cup fashioned from an ostrich egg, a blue and white porcelain jar, and imported citrus fruits on a silver tray. These luxury goods became available to Dutch middle- and upper-class consumers as a result of Dutch colonialism and trade power. While this painting celebrates the acquisition of these goods, it ignores the human suffering of the transatlantic slave trade that was intrinsically linked to their availability.

Debut

Bright light illuminates an arrangement of objects that includes a fanciful drinking cup fashioned from an ostrich egg and a large lidded jar. The lemon peel, dangling in a spiral over the edge of a silver salver, reveals glistening flesh that appeals simultaneously to the viewer’s taste and sight. The engagement of the senses continues with the violin. An engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, a celebrated Italian composer and violinist, evokes the experience of hearing a performance of Corelli’s compositions.

Debut

Bright light illuminates an arrangement of objects that includes a fanciful drinking cup fashioned from an ostrich egg and a large lidded jar. The lemon peel, dangling in a spiral over the edge of a silver salver, reveals glistening flesh that appeals simultaneously to the viewer’s taste and sight. The engagement of the senses continues with the violin. An engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, a celebrated Italian composer and violinist, evokes the experience of hearing a performance of Corelli’s compositions.

Empire of Things

Bright light illuminates an arrangement of objects that includes a fanciful drinking cup fashioned from an ostrich egg and a large lidded jar. Imported to the Netherlands from China, porcelain vessels were precious commodities, prized for their delicacy and beauty. The popularity of these ceramics led to the domestic production of imitations, which later developed into Dutch blue and white Delftware. Likewise, the orange and lemon would have appeared on the Netherlandish table only after transport from the sunny Mediterranean climate. The lemon peel, dangling in a spiral over the edge of a silver salver, reveals glistening flesh that appeals simultaneously to the viewer’s taste and sight. The engagement of the senses continues with the violin that occupies the center of the composition. Paired with an engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, a celebrated Italian composer and violinist, the instrument evokes the experience of hearing a performance of Corelli’s compositions.

Exhibition Label:
"Empire of Things," 2013, Kate Meyer
Bright light illuminates an arrangement of objects that includes a fanciful drinking cup fashioned from an ostrich egg and a large lidded jar. Imported to the Netherlands from China, porcelain vessels were precious commodities, prized for their delicacy and beauty. The popularity of these ceramics led to
the domestic production of imitations, which later developed into Dutch blue and white Delftware. Likewise, the orange and lemon would have appeared on the Netherlandish table only after transport from the sunny Mediterranean climate. The lemon peel, dangling in a spiral over the edge of a silver salver, reveals the glistening flesh that appeals simultaneously to the viewer’s taste and
sight. The engagement of the senses continues
with the violin that occupies the center of the composition. Paired with an engraving of Arcangelo Corelli, a celebrated Italian composer and violinist, the instrument evokes the experience of hearing a performance of Corelli’s compositions.

Exhibitions

Empire of Things
Kris Ercums, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
2013–2015
Empire of Things
Kris Ercums, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
2016–2021
Debut
Kris Ercums, curator
2021–2023
Intersections
Cassandra Mesick Braun, curator
2022–2027
Debut
Kris Ercums, curator
2021–2022
Intersections
Cassandra Mesick Braun, curator
2022–2027

Resources

Audio

Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
“What is this mélange of objects doing in a painting?” this is what I first thought when I saw Still Life with a Violin and Engraving of Arcangelo Corelli by the School of Bourguignon. School of Bourguignon stands for “School of Burgundy”, but that is pretty much all that is known about this mid-18th Century still life. Still lives are paintings of inanimate objects. Many of the still lives in the 1700’s included fruit or flowers sitting on a table and was the popular thing to paint instead of the outdated religious painting. The artist used oil on canvas to paint this piece, which was the typical material used back in the day. In the work we can see a half-peeled lemon sitting next to an orange or other type of fruit that are both lying on a silver tray. There is also an intricate golden lamp next to a bowl of water with a ladle in it. In the back there is an expensive vase with a design that appears to be a person walking through a park. The vase might have been liked with the fascination of the east when fine goods and china were being shipped to Europe from China. The main focal point that my eyes kept coming back to seems to be the violin sitting next to a portrait of a famous Italian violinist and composer Arcangelo Corelli that is on a luxurious red blanket. I am starting to see all the components come together. I now think is a shrine dedicated to Corelli with food and water for his spirit to have while his ashes are neatly tucked away in the vase. Why the artist really painted it, the world may never know, but what we do know is that this still life is a very fine and intricate masterpiece. Thank you for listening, this has been Lucas Mackey with another bulldog podcast.
Hear a SWMS student's perspective.
Audio Tour – Bulldog Art Tour
Hear a SWMS student's perspective.
Audio Tour – Bulldog Art Tour
Audio Tour – Bulldog Art Tour
Audio Tour – Bulldog Art Tour
Still Life, painted by a Dutch art school lost to time, was created to immortalize the famous musician Corelli. Reminiscent of older times, the piece shows multiple extravagant items, including a golden chalice, a clay jar, silver trays full of fruits, and a picture of Corelli right by his precious violin. These items seemed to me as a showcase of Corelli’s wealth and passions. To focus more on his musical career however, Arcangelo Corelli is a renowned violinist known for his dramatic style displayed in his numerous concerti grossi, which entertained thousands and inspired composers for centuries to come. However, for me after my first glance at the piece, and maybe yours too, you might notice its hollow feeling. The few bright and colorful segments being dulled out with muted tones dimmed further by the dark room. So I thought there could be a different meaning here as well; maybe the dark Dutch art style can stand for something else, even if it’s past the artist's intention. If you learned about Dutch history, you might know about the VOC, or Dutch East India Company, the VOC is known for being the first company to colonize and exploit foreign countries for resources. Looking closer, we can fairly confidently assume the origins of most of the items: the jar is of chinaware, the chalice seems to be made with components mined from Africa, and the blanket is reminiscent of Asian styles. However, knowing the conditions of colonies during this era, we can infer that these items were not obtained using fair methods. Overall, I see this painting not only as a tribute to Corelli, but also as a critique on colonialism. The dim lighting and tone of the image represent how colonizers drain the world of creativity where powerful countries take what is not rightfully theirs. This is Sejun Yun with another Bulldog Art Tour.