SuperRare

Van der Hamen's virtuoso ability to mimic nature is evident in his treatment of the small, water-filled glass bowl, which not only casts a shadow but also refracts the light passing through it. The poet Lope da Vega, who was a member of the same educated circle as the painter, wrote two sonnets in praise of van der Hamen's work, suggesting in one that nature herself should copy his fruits and flowers.

Juan van der Hamen y León, Spanish, 1596 - 1631, Still Life with Sweets and Pottery, 1627, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection