HEEM, Jan Davidsz. de
(b. 1606, Utrecht, d. 1684, Antwerpen)

Still-Life with a Glass and Oysters

c. 1640
Oil on wood, 25 x 19 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The aesthetic appeal of this picture is concentrated in the glass with its white and yellow reflections suggesting bright light from a window. Oysters, grapes, and lemons were delicacies in De Heem's day, so that his subject suggests a certain level in society.