Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill
1628
Pieter Claesz Dutch
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 964
Still Life painting flourished as a genre of its own in the early 1600s, particularly in the Netherlands. These paintings often feature depictions of Venetian and Germanic glass, symbols of high society, and an increasingly global world.
Though capturing a specific moment in time, these still life paintings are often filled with clues and symbols of time passing, like the burning match in the painting above. These give a glimpse into the lives being lived behind and around the painting.
Still Life set ups are dynamic to draw, including different colors, textures, depths, and lighting. The Still Life Zoom series features a different set up each month, holding to a specific theme. The theme for October was “Spooky Season”, hosted just before Halloween.
Participants join for an easy going hour of drawing, with the possibility of changing out objects, switching up the lighting, or focusing on the same set up for the full time allotted.
Join an upcoming session and practice your drawing skills!
Active Reflecting: Still Life Zoom (Free) - Cornucopia
November 24th, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Active Reflecting: Still Life Zoom (Free) - Winter Solstice
December 21st, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Active Reflecting: Still Life Zoom (Free) - New Year, New Perspectives
January 27th, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
And check out this great essay about Still-Life Painting in Northern Europe from the Met Museum’s Timeline of Art History: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nstl/hd_nstl.htm .