Willem Claesz Heda

Willem Claesz Heda painted breakfast still lifes: pewter plates, overturned glasses, half peeled lemons and pies, arranged on crumpled tablecloths. His early pictures are almost monochrome, in greys, silvers and browns, and the glint of light on glass and metal is the real subject.

He was born in Haarlem around 1594, the son of the city architect, and spent his whole life there. He was one of the leading developers of the “breakfast piece” with Pieter Claesz. His Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie (1631) is in Dresden. His works are in the Rijksmuseum, the Louvre, the National Gallery in London and the Hermitage. He died in Haarlem around 1680.

Ham and Silverware shows his quiet colour and careful reflections.