Still Life with Book, Papers and Inkwell
Artist
François Bonvin
(1817 - 1887)
Date1876
MediumOil on zinc
Dimensions36.2 × 48.3 cm
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineSir Hugh Lane Bequest, 1917, The National Gallery, London. In partnership with Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin.
Object number3234
DescriptionThe strongly lit items of this still life appear to be casually arranged on a desk in a study. The pince-nez resting between the pages of a book and the well-worn copybook balanced over the edge of the table give a sense of animation to the work. To the side are a pewter inkstand with quill pens, rolls of paper and some coins. Hugh Lane paid five guineas for the work in 1906. (JO'D)This is a still life showing a pair of pince-nez glasses between the pages of an open book resting on some papers upon a table. There is also a couple of coins, a pewter inkstand, two quill pens and a roll of paper lying on the table, which is covered in a green baize cloth. The glasses and the book in this picture may have a symbolic meaning. Bonvin was interested in Dutch and Flemish 17th-century painting, where still lifes often had a 'vanitas' theme, emphasising the transience and mortality of life.
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