Juriaen van Streeck
(1632-1687)
Prunkstillleben mit Diener,
um 1670/80
Material / Technology / Carrier
Leinwand
Dimensions of the object
143,4 x 120,5 cm
Displayed
AP OG Saal XI
Acquisition
Aus der Fürstbischöflichen Residenz Würzburg
Stock
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen – Alte Pinakothek München
Citation
Juriaen van Streeck, Prunkstillleben mit Diener, um 1670/80, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen – Alte Pinakothek München, URL: https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/en/artwork/ApL8q0NGN2 (Last updated on 08.12.2025)
A splendid still life featuring precious luxury goods from various regions of the world is arranged on a heavy marble tabletop. The Chinese porcelain painted with figures, a carpet from the Near East, and the shell of a nautilus or pearl boat reference the international trade relations of the time.
The still life is presented alongside a young man of African origin who, dressed in precious clothing, also becomes a luxury item in this context, imported from distant parts of the world by the leading and wealthy classes of the time. It is no coincidence that he is depicted as a ‘servant’, as people from other countries were often enslaved and forced into servitude. From today's perspective, this worldview is demeaning and clearly disregards individual freedom.
The depiction thus refers not only to the prosperity of the time, but also to the colonial ties of the northern Netherlands.
The still life is presented alongside a young man of African origin who, dressed in precious clothing, also becomes a luxury item in this context, imported from distant parts of the world by the leading and wealthy classes of the time. It is no coincidence that he is depicted as a ‘servant’, as people from other countries were often enslaved and forced into servitude. From today's perspective, this worldview is demeaning and clearly disregards individual freedom.
The depiction thus refers not only to the prosperity of the time, but also to the colonial ties of the northern Netherlands.
You may also be interested in the following works of art:
