Beuckelaer pioneered still-life painting in Europe. In addition to fall produce and game, the artist includes textiles, pewter, ceramics, glass, and butter from a mold on a tin-glazed earthenware plate, probably imported from Spain or Italy. This excess speaks to the great economic success of the region around Antwerp (in present-day Belgium), then an epicenter of international trade.

Many of the owners of these market and kitchen scenes had an interest in moral philosophy that advocated moderation, raising questions about material excess and seeing risks in sensual pleasures of all kinds. To address these concerns, Beuckelaer often presented biblical themes in the background. However, the scene in the upper left has yet to be deciphered adequately.

This painting has recently undergone structural and aesthetic conservation treatment. Wooden bars attached to the back were restricting the panel’s natural movement. As a result the three pieces of oak that make up the panel were splitting apart. To relieve the stresses on the panel, the bars were removed and replaced with a spring mechanism that holds the planks together while allowing the wood panel to move gently in response to environmental changes. To improve the visual appearance of the front, degraded varnish and discolored repaints were removed to reveal the artist’s vibrant colors. Lastly, a fresh varnish coating was applied and old losses associated with the splits in the panel were filled and inpainted with reversible colors.

Joachim Beuckelaer, 1562,
Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, 11/29/19