Richard Earlom - Still Life of Fruit and Flowers

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Richard Earlom - Still Life of Fruit and Flowers

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Summary

Right before Empress Catherine the Great of Russia bought Sir Robert Walpole’s entire art collection, Richard Earlom made large prints of several of the famous paintings in it as mementos. Among them was this 1723 still life by Jan van Huysum. Earlom worked in mezzotint, a technique also called the ‘black manner’. This method made it possible to produce soft, subtle transitions between a wealth of grey tones, creating a velvety black surface.

Jan van Huysum was a Dutch painter who specialised in still lifes, especially flower arrangements. He was born in Amsterdam in 1682 and was the son of a famous flower painter, Justus van Huysum. Jan began his artistic training in his father's studio and later studied with the famous still life painter Jan Weenix. Van Huysum's paintings are known for their meticulous attention to detail and vibrant colours. He often depicted exotic flowers and fruits from around the world, creating lush and luxurious compositions that were highly sought after by collectors. His works were also notable for their use of light and shadow, which added depth and dimensionality to his floral arrangements. In addition to his career as a painter, van Huysum was a member of the Amsterdam Guild of St Luke and served as its dean from 1727 to 1733. He died in Amsterdam in 1749 at the age of 67. His paintings are now in museums and private collections around the world, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the National Gallery in London.

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Date

1781
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Source

Rijksmuseum
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Copyright info

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication ("CCO 1.0 Dedication")

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