Artist: Willem Kalf

Name: Still Life with Drinking Horn

Date: 1653

Material: Oil on canvas

Size: 86.4cm x 102.2cm

Location: National Gallery, London

• Willem Kalf was an important Dutch still life painter as he developed the type of still life known as 'pronkstileven' or 'pronk' for short
• 'Pronk' still life portrayed much of the prosperity of the Dutch Republic at the time based on its international trade
• In 1609, religious images were not allowed to be produced so the Dutch artists of the time only concentrated on secular objects
• If you were able to afford one of the paintings that Kalf painted, you would then use them to show off your high economic status at the time
• Kalf used the play of reflections and tinted shadows to draw the composition together in this artwork; he has chosen to make the background black so that the objects with vivid colours can stand out, for e.g. the lobster