MARSEUS VAN SCHRIECK, Otto
(b. 1619/20, Nijmegen, d. 1678, Amsterdam)

Nocturnal Forest Floor Still-Life

1671
Oil on canvas, 59 x 47 cm
Private collection

The picture shows a nocturnal forest floor still-life with a thistle, butterflies, mushrooms and a frog.

Otto Marseus van Schrieck was one of the leading innovators of the Dutch forest floor-still life. In the present work, he has focused meticulous attention on a thistle, a single pink flower, and a handful of forest dwellers, all of which glisten vividly against a darkened background.