Still Life with Glass Goblets and a Lemon

Kalf achieved fame with his still lifes featuring luxury objects, which on the one hand represent the economic flourishing of Holland and the country`s busy trade with Asia, Africa and America, on the other hand it was an opportunity for the painter to show his technical ability. The table is covered with a Persian cloth, the silver tray features a lemon half peeled with a knife with agate handle, and an orange. The fluted Venetian glass is full of white wine, as is the roemer-type goblet with a characteristic raspberry decor. These objects, along with a broken piece of pastry suggest a recent presence of man. The grouping of the objects strikes as random - yet in fact the whole composition is governed by mathematical order. Kalf´s brushwork as if anticipated the Impressionist technique, working with the mass of colour stains that disrupt firm outlines. A similar technique was used by Kalf´s contemporary, the painter Vermeer van Delft.