In cooperation with the Kaiserschild Foundation, the Kunsthistorisches Museum is presenting a small special presentation on the Dutch Baroque painter Pieter Claesz (1597/98–1660), thus focusing for the first time on this important representative of 17th-century still life painting.

The focus is on the paintings Still Life with Fruit Pie, Silver Tazza, Gilded Lidded Goblet and “Römer” (Wine Glass) (1637) from the Kunst Museum Winterthur, Still Life with Glass Goblet (1642) from the Old Gallery of the Universalmuseum Joanneum Graz – a permanent loan from the Kaiserschild Foundation – and Vanitas Still Life (1656) from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which impressively represent Claesz's masterful use of light and his fine handling of materiality.
These three major works have been digitized in the highest quality and specially prepared for art education. A multimedia table and seven short films invite visitors to delve deeper into the still life genre, individual details of the works, cultural and historical aspects, and the artist's life and artistic work.

The many facets of still life in Pieter Claesz
Pieter Claesz (c. 1597/98–1660), a Flemish native, settled in the economically booming Haarlem around 1620. Thanks to influential brewers and wealthy Antwerp merchants who had fled the Spanish occupation, the city became one of the most important art centers in the Netherlands. Claesz further developed the tradition of Haarlem still-life painting and is considered the founder of the new type of "set table." Using a reduced visual language—muted colors and a few objects—he created small mealtime paintings (called "ontbijtje" or "banketje") that became his trademark. During his approximately 40-year creative period, Claesz painted around 230 paintings. He is rightly famous for his subtle use of color and light and his skill in depicting various surfaces.

Pieter Claesz (1597/98–1660), Still Life with Fruit Pie, Silver Tazza, Gilded Lidded Goblet, and “Römer” (Wine Glass), 1637, oil on wood, Kunst Museum Winterthur, Gift of the Jakob Briner Foundation, 2018 © Kunst Museum Winterthur

In Still Life with Fruit Pie, Silver Tazza, Gilded Lidded Goblet, and Roman (1637), Pieter Claesz portrays the wealth of the Netherlands during the so-called Golden Age. An opulently set table with exquisite dishes and precious vessels reflects the prosperity of the rising bourgeoisie. At the media table, visitors gain insights into the origins of the status symbols depicted. Furthermore, the ceremonial vessels depicted are compared with comparable objects from today's art collections.
contextualized.
In Still Life with Glass Goblet (1642), Pieter Claesz depicts a simple Dutch snack typical of his time, with herring, onions, bread and beer. This picture particularly highlights his masterful use of illusion techniques as well as his handling of light and reflections in a monochrome palette, which individual chapters
at the media table.

Pieter Claesz (1597/98–1660), Still Life with Glass Goblet, 1642, oil on wood, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Alte Galerie Schloss Eggenberg, loan from the Kaiserschild Foundation, © Photo: UMJ/N. Lackner

In his Vanitas Still Life (1656), the artist explores the transience of life. Visitors can explore the objects depicted in the painting, including a skull, an overturned glass (a "Römer"), and a clock, as special points of interest at the interactive media table and learn more about their symbolism.
www.khm.at
June 17, 2025 to March 15, 2026