Gallery Edition – Grapes, peaches, apples and plums in a wan-li bowl on a ledge, with shells, a grasshopper and other fruit by Balthasar van der Ast – 73×44 Interior Architectural Study

Curatorial Narrative In the realm of 17th-century Dutch still life painting, Balthasar van der Ast’s “Grapes, peaches, apples and plums in a wan-li bowl on a ledge, with shells, a grasshopper and other fruit” (1625) occupies a singular position. Van der Ast’s mastery of fine brushwork and nuanced chromatic structure situates this work within the Baroque style, while also nodding to Renaissance Classicism. The artist’s deliberate arrangement of fruit, shells, and insects on a ledge invites the viewer into an intimate, contained world, where the wan-li bowl serves as a vessel for both abundance and restraint. This visual tension is heightened by van der Ast’s use of rich earth tones, vibrant reds, greens, and yellows, which imbue the composition with a sense of opulence and wonder.When enlarged to 73×44 inches, the palette and spatial depth of “Grapes, peaches, apples and plums…” assume a commanding presence in a luxury interior env