Fruits, bread and three cheeses are laid out sort by kind on a table covered with precious damask cloths. The Haarlem painter Floris Claesz van Dijck is one of the pioneers of Dutch still life painting. Still life is one of the genres of painting also called “breakfasts”. Van Dijck is known to have painted eight of them, of which this one from 1615 hangs in the Rijksmuseum and can therefore be downloaded for free via Rijksstudio.

"The color reproduction of the apples and cheeses, the detail of the Delft blue bowl and earthenware is phenomenal. The illusion of authenticity is astonishing: the tin plate that protrudes over the edge of the table seems tangibly close." The Rijksmuseum writes on its website. The sometimes closed and sometimes open notes are also deliberately arranged and elaborated with a lot of variation. All subjects have been arranged with great care in relation to each other, clearly demonstrating Van Dijck's fascination with contrasts in texture. For that reason alone, this painting deserves a place among the dishes. The layout of dishes can be approached in the same way. The choice of damask, tableware, use of color and layout of the ingredients must be a feast for the eyes.

Still lifes are an expression of the good life in which wealth is displayed and, because of the Golden Age in this little country, they are typical of the painting of that time. The genre came over from Italy and Flanders. You often see exotic ingredients and rarities depicted that only the client of the painting can afford. The artist can focus on composition and the use of color and tonal value. The art and culture of the seventeenth century is called 'baroque'. A term that was used because the proportions were said to be incorrect and the emphasis is on the smooth distinction in color nuances between dark and light areas. The art from this time seems to go in every direction to make contact with the viewer and literally entice them to take a bite. For a long time the genre was (and is) looked down upon because it was said to be practice material.

Cheese with fresh and dried fruit

Choose various cheeses from a cheesemonger and then know almost everything about that cheese. So origin, method of making, ripening and taste. Choose fresh fruit that goes best with cheese such as grapes, sweet apples. Buy fresh nuts to taste.

Dry the grapes in the oven for an hour at 70 degrees to increase the flavor intensity.
Roast the nuts in the oven for 15 minutes at 120 degrees. Allow the cheese to come to room temperature.

Serve on a wooden board.