Jan Fris

JAN FRIS (Netherlands, 1627-1672).
"Still life".
Oil on oak panel.
Signed in the lower central area.
Measurements: 40 x 49 cm; 53 x 61 cm (frame).
This painting is an excellent and characteristic example of a still life made by the little known painter of Amsterdam, Jan Fris. It presents a sober and enigmatic composition, where light and texture play a fundamental role. On a wooden table, barely visible in the half-light, grapes, two peaches and three plums are arranged with apparent simplicity, resting on a written file, whose folds and calligraphy are barely insinuated. Behind these elements, an extinguished candle stands as a silent witness of the scene, submerged in the shadows.
Chiaroscuro, characteristic of Fris's style and of the Dutch tradition of "tonal" still lifes, dominates the composition. The dim lighting highlights the smoothness of the fruit skin, the fragility of the paper and the opacity of the candlestick, while the background dissolves in the darkness. The meticulous brushwork and mastery of textures reinforce the sense of reality, evoking the meticulous realism of Pieter Claesz and Willem Heda.
The still life was a genre of great relevance in the Netherlands in the 17th century, reflecting not only a taste for the representation of the everyday, but also symbolic and moral values. In this painting, the ripe fruit may allude to the fleetingness of life, while the written paper and the candle suggest the passage of time and the transience of human knowledge. Beyond its apparent simplicity, this still life becomes a silent meditation on existence, in tune with the vanitas tradition of the time.
Little is known about the life of Jan or Johannes Fris. The son of Gerrit, he was born in Amsterdam around 1627, as deduced from two documents in which his age is mentioned. He married in Amsterdam in 1649 and obtained citizenship in 1651. He was buried in the same city on July 9, 1672. His artistic legacy is the best testimony of his existence: he left a small group of works, almost all still lifes, many of them signed and dated between 1647 and 1672. His favorite subjects were still lifes with smoking utensils, breakfast still lifes and vanitas-type compositions.