Joachim Bueckelaer - Well-Stocked Kitchen, and Jesus in the House of Martha and Mary in the background - 1566
Here Joachim Bueckelaer provides a view of a well-stocked kitchen. He has painted the room with such suggestion that you could almost step inside. It contains profuse quantities of food. Various kinds of vegetable and fruit, a large piece of lamb, game and poultry: something for everyone's taste. Two kitchen maids are plucking chickens ready to be grilled on a skewer. The men in the kitchen are taking advantage of the drink. In the background, a group is gathering around a man dressed in grey: Christ, a guest in the house of Martha and Mary. In the Bible the story is told of Jesus' visit to two sisters. One sister, Mary, sat at his feet to listen to him, while the other, Martha, was busy in the kitchen. When Martha complained about this Jesus answered that Mary had made the right choice: she had preferred to listen to his edifying stories, while Martha had been too engrossed in other things. The painting is about the choice between the spiritual and the worldly. It is a painting for 'instruction and amusement': besides the message, the painting also entertains the viewer. There are all kinds of utensils on show in this painting. Bueckelaer showed off his talent for rendering different materials: superb damask serviettes for example, stoneware jugs, earthenware dishes and bowls, and majolica plates. He also painted a pewter plate, a mortar and a tazza: a drinking dish. Also shown here are various wide drinking glasses with prunts. These were known as berkemeyers. Paintings such as the 'Well-Stocked Kitchen' are known as kitchen pieces. Joachim Bueckelaer specialised in kitchen paintings. He learned the art from his uncle Pieter Aertsen. Sometimes his clients could be quite demanding. The artist biographer Karel van Mander relates a story about one of the artist's awkward patrons, who was continually bringing new objects and pieces of food to be included. Joachim had to keep adding the items to the painting so that the job dragged on endlessly without the artist
Size: 3200px × 2186px
Photo credit: © steeve-x-art / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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