“Still Life with Pretzel”, Luis Melendez

Description of the picture:

Still Life with Pretzel – Luis Melendez. 1770. Oil on canvas. 49×37

   Melendez is the largest representative of still life painting of the XVIII century. Countless canvases of the Spaniard continue the tradition of depicting the gifts of native nature, laid down by Dutch painters of the 17th century, who willingly depicted products of their own locality.

   Still life was created in the late period of the artist’s work, when luxury items and silver utensils appear in his compositions. But the master, as before, is faithful to his standards and works in the best traditions of the genre. It seems that the objects on the canvas are palpable: the fragile glass of the glass is reflected in the matte surface of the silver vase, the just-baked pretzel, lying on a snow-white napkin, beckons with nostril pulp, the corked bottle glistens with the highest neck, a luxurious fork is located on the very edge of the illuminated table.

   Despite the detail of the painting by Melendez, in his paintings, in contrast to the work of the Dutch, there is no sense of a comfortable life at home."