Fruit and Vegetable Stall in a Town Market

This is a rare painting by Jan Baptist Saive I who is better known as a history painter. In the rather doll-like figures, the high viewpoint and the unnatural contrast of planes, the same mannerist style can be seen as in his religious work. In conformity with the older tradition the observer's attention is here drawn - past the colourful display of vegetables in the foreground - to a small scene with a few figures right at the back of the picture. However, this scene has no religious content at all. This is a typical transitional work, linking the old Aertsen-Beuckelaer tradition to a more modern conception.