Discover Jan Davidsz de Heem’s Exquisite Still Lifes in Cambridge Exhibit

A collection of four notable still lifes by Dutch artist Jan Davidsz de Heem will be showcased together for the first time since the 17th century at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. These paintings are significant examples of pronkstilleven, a style known for elaborate still life depictions, featuring lavish food and exquisite objects.

The exhibition will include:

• Fruits and Rich Dishes on a Table (1640) – on loan from the Louvre.
• Still Life with Boy and Parrots (1641) – arriving from Brussels City Museum.
• Still Life in a Palatial Setting (1642) – from a private collection.
• Banquet Still Life (1643) – valued at approximately £6 million and already on display at the Fitzwilliam since 2023.

This exhibition, titled Picturing Excess, opens on December 3 and runs until April 13, 2025. It will contextualize these artworks within the time of rapid European expansion, highlighting how the wealthy showcased their wealth through extravagant displays depicted by De Heem.

The museum notes that these paintings depict a wide array of luxurious items while addressing themes of excess and colonialism. Notably, Still Life with Boy and Parrots features the image of an enslaved African boy.

The museum aims to reflect on how these artworks demonstrate the owners’ wealth, knowledge, and global connections, while also conveying moral messages about the impermanence of riches. De Heem’s remarkable skill made his works lifelike, with one critic likening his paintings to the “17th-century Dutch answer to food porn.”