Still Life with Books

Jan Lievens, c. 1628 - c. 1632

Appearances can be deceiving. What at first sight looks to be an overturned lute is just an old wooden case for the instrument. The books, too, are a disappointment; they are merely empty bindings, limp covers of leather or parchment meant to hold bills and other documents. These are all old objects – cast off, worthless and transitory.

Artwork typepainting
Object numberSK-A-4090
Dimensionsheight 91 cm x width 120 cm
Physical characteristicsolieverf op paneel

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Identification

Title(s)
Vanitas Still Life
Object type
Object number
SK-A-4090
Description
Vanitas stilleven met boeken, een tinnen kan, berkenmeier, tinnen bord met broodje, luit en twee globes. Links aan de wand hangt een palet.

Creation

Creation
painter: Jan Lievens
Dating
c. 1628 - c. 1632
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Material and technique

Physical description
olieverf op paneel
Material
Dimensions
height 91 cm x width 120 cm

This work is about

Subject

Acquisition and rights

Credit line
Purchased with the support of the Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen van het Rijksmuseum
Copyright
Public domain
Provenance
...; the dealer Basil Wheeler, London;{Note RMA.}...; the dealer Montpellier Galleries, London, as P. Potter, 28 April 1960;{Note RMA.}...; the dealer Han Jüngeling, The Hague (on loan to the Dordrechts Museum), 1960-63;{L.J. Bol, _5 Aanwinsten [van het] Dordrechts Museum: Bruiklenen en aankopen december 1960_, Dordrecht 1960, p. 14; L.J. Bol, _Nederlandse stillevens uit de 17de eeuw_, exh. cat. Dordrecht (Dordrechts Museum) 1962, p. 14; note RMA.} from whom, fl. 75,000, to the museum, as a gift from the Commissie voor Fotoverkoop, 1963
Remarks
Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.

Documentation

Persistent URL

To refer to this object, please use the following persistent URL:
https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200107940