Floral still life
Dirck van Rijswijck
1662 · Black marble inlaid with engraved mother-of-pearl and breccia marble, ebony frame · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Trained as a goldsmith, Van Rijswijck was celebrated during his lifetime for his inlaywork of mother-of-pearl in ebony or black marble creating still-life pictures and several tabletops. The large-scale importation of tropical shells into Amsterdam during the seventeenth century prompted contemporary artists to specialize in the working of mother-of-pearl. Carefully choosing pieces that simulated the natural colors of his subjects, Van Rijswijck engraved certain features with a burin and darkened them with charcoal and wax. Like most flower paintings, his compositions were not entirely realistic in their portrayal of blooms that available during different seasons.
- Artist
- Dirck van Rijswijck
- Date
- 1662
- Medium
- Black marble inlaid with engraved mother-of-pearl and breccia marble, ebony frame
- Culture
- Dutch, Amsterdam
- Department
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Credit line
- Purchase, The Howard Bayne and Rogers Funds, 1986
