A Banquet Piece

This type of still life, known as a "monochrome banquet piece" (in Dutch, "bankxtje") for its harmonious though limited palette, was an artful invention intended to astonish the viewer with its beauty rather than its portrayal of an actual meal — or, in this case, a snack of freshly shucked oysters with lemon. This particular piece dates from about 1630. Pieter Claesz, one of the most celebrated still-life painters from the period, had the rare ability to gave extraordinary presence to familiar things. Just look how precise he was with the reflection on the glass!