At the Table with Pieter Claesz

Description

The table is set, the dishes are prepared: crispy rolls, freshly shimmering oysters, salted fish, and juicy pâtés invite you to eat. The leading figure in depicting such pleasurable moments in Dutch Baroque was Pieter Claesz (1597/1598–1660). The artist born in Flanders and later active in Haarlem is considered the most innovative representative of the genre of monochrome "Banketjes." These color-reduced still life meals made Claesz famous in his time and became his trademark. Surfaces and materials of textiles, dishes, and foods like artfully cut lemons are painted with such detail that they appear natural, even deceptively real, and seem to invite to reach out. Under the title "At the Table with Pieter Claesz," the Kunst Museum Winterthur, in cooperation with the Kaiserschild Foundation, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, and the Alte Galerie of the Universalmuseum Joanneum in Graz, presents a concise cabinet exhibition. The focus is on exquisite still lifes that tell of the eating habits and living conditions of the emerging bourgeoisie in the so-called Golden Age of the Netherlands. But not only beauty, splendor, and pleasure are addressed. The images are also moral ambassadors. They speak of the transience of food as well as life; especially in Vanitas still lifes, the fleetingness and finiteness of all earthly things manifest. The exhibition is complemented by high-resolution digital reproductions of three still lifes by Claesz, created as part of the Kaiserschild Art Defined project and specially prepared for art education. A multimedia table invites interactive engagement with the works. Additionally, short films accompany the presentation, offering exciting insights into the genre of still life and the life and work of the painter. Curated by Andrea Lutz, with participants and additional information: Pieter Claesz

Highlights

• Cabinet exhibition about Pieter Claesz
• Focus on Dutch still lifes of the Golden Age
• Cooperation with renowned museums

General Information

The exhibition "At the Table with Pieter Claesz" at the Kunst Museum Winterthur presents exquisite still lifes that reflect the eating habits of the emerging bourgeoisie in the Golden Age of the Netherlands. It addresses both the beauty of the foods and the transience of life.

Location

Stadthausstrasse 6, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland

Hide Map

Loading map...

How to get there

Get Directions