#Mauritshuls

[arthistoryanimalia]

Another for #WorldTurtleDay on a #TurtleTuesday + #TwoForTuesday:

Albert Eckhout (Dutch, c.1610–1665) Study of Two Brazilian Tortoises, 1640 oil and paper on panel, 30.5 cm (12 in) x 51 cm (20 in) Mauritshuls collection

species ID = Red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)

"One of the artists in Johan Maurits’s entourage [in Dutch Brazil] was Albert Eckhout. Eckhout recorded the Brazilian people, flora and fauna in drawings and paintings. Like these two red-footed tortoises with their scaly heads, shells with geometric patterns and mouths full of sharp teeth. Eckhout painted them on paper.

The animals are grunting threateningly at each other, as the males do during the breeding season. But Eckhout made the animals more exciting than they actually are – tortoises do not in fact have teeth."

[theedibledossier]

Peeters, C 1615, Still Life with Almond and Croissants, oil painting, Mauritshuls, 

A dutch painter of the 17th century, one of her most well known artworks is "Still life with cheeses, almonds and pretzels" along with other famous works including "breakfast pieces". According to Pound (2020) Still Life With Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels allows the audience to participate in the piece by "leaving the handle of a finely observed silver knife towards the audience as if inviting them to carve the gouda." This idea of allowing the audience to participate in the piece shows that Peeters has created a piece of work gives no answers to what is going on, but instead provides details though a "variety of colour and texture from rind to the centre" (Pound, 2020). Colour and texture are the two elements that I want to bring emphasis to in my own work, Lastly the critical framework that has been explored is symbols with foods such as cheese and wine showing a high class society indulging in the food. This was the only painter explored in this dossier and is someone who allows me to see what still life of food was before photography.