2-748-124 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Wineglass and a Bowl of Fruit, 1663. Priceless objects crowd the corner of a stone table. Pieces like the silver platter, delicate glasswares, thick rumpled carpet, and a Chinese porcelain bowl with peaches and an orange not only represented the great wealth and global reach of the Dutch trading empire, but were also a way for the artist to demonstrate his skill in recreating various surface textures. Kalf used different kinds of highlights to render reflections—quick dots, lines, and dabs of paint—creating sparkling, twinkling light effects that subtly distinguish objects from the surrounding shadows.