Dutch school, possibly Cornelis de Heem, second half of the 17th century.

Dutch school possibly CORNELIS de HEEM (1606-1684); second half of the 17th century.
"Still life with oysters".
Oil on canvas. relined.
Measurements: 35 x 42 cm; 60 x 63 cm (frame).
Naturalistic still life realized in an interior with a neutral background, in which the shades of different tonalities belonging to the same chromatic range can be appreciated. This background enhances the corporeality of the elements and food that are arranged in steps occupying almost the entire surface of the canvas. The elements chosen by the author reveal the tastes and customs of the most prosperous classes of the Modern Age, thus imported products such as fruits or seafood can be observed. There are also many other types of objects that could be associated with wealth, good taste, education or culture. An example of this is the representation of porcelain.
Aesthetically the work has certain similarities with the painting of Cornelis de Heem, a still life painter linked to both Flemish Baroque and Dutch painting of the Golden Age. He belonged to a large family of still life specialists, of which his father, Jan Davidszoon de Heem (1606-1684), was the most important. It seems that his father trained him in Antwerp, since, like him, he was born in the Dutch Republic but died in the Southern Netherlands. In 1660 he joined the Antwerp painters' guild, and from 1667 until the late 1680s he worked in Utrecht, IJsselstein and The Hague. It is often not easy to distinguish the works of the various members of the family, among whom were his brother Jan Jansz, his nephew Jan Jansz II and his son David Cornelisz. (1663-after? 1718), who painted mostly flower and fruit works in a similar style and probably often collaborated. Cornelis's works, however, tend to be small, show a preference for strong blues, and eventually moved away from his father's preferred painting style.