Still Life with Oysters

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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A collection of oysters is grouped around a glass of wine. A few closed mussels have been added at the left, with a single open shell depicted at the right, its shades of blue and white contrasting with the overall earthy tonality. Behind the oysters stands a squat bottle, perhaps containing olive oil. This group of objects reflects the influence of still lifes by the eighteenth-century artist Chardin. There was a revival of interest in Chardin’s work in the nineteenth century, and the still lifes became very important to Rousseau. All the objects reflect light, from the glass of wine to the glistening oysters. A knife rests on the glass, delicate touches of white paint highlighting the silver band around its handle and the sliver of light caught by the blade.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Still Life with Oysters

Date

probably 1875-87

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 42.2 x W 62.2 cm

Accession number

NG3829

Acquisition method

Presented by Lt.-Col. R.H. Whitwell to the Tate Gallery, 1923; transferred, 1956

Work type

Painting

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