Pronk Still-Life
by YKENS, Frans, Oil on canvas, 105 x 139 cm
This painting shows a large pronk still-life with flowers, fruit and fowl.
Pronkstilleven (Dutch for ‘ostentatious’, ‘ornate’ or ‘sumptuous’ still-life) is a style of ornate still-life painting, which was developed in the 1640s in Antwerp from where it spread quickly to the Dutch Republic. Fancy pronk still-lifes feature imported fruits and expensive objects such as Chinese porcelain, Venetian glassware, and silver-gilt cups and trays, usually rendered in glistening light and a velvety atmosphere.