Style Imitating Art: Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers by Clara Peeters

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, Terri of MeadowTree Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as curator, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the curator by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the curator will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join! You are invited to share your images on Instagram or other social media platforms. Just be sure to tag Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

The Inspiration Artwork

The inspiration artwork was chosen by Terri. You can read why she picked this work here.

Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers by Clara Peeters

 

About the Artist: Clara Peeters

Clara Peeters was an early 17th century Flemish still life painter who worked as an artist in the Spanish Netherlands and the Dutch Republic. Despite being one of the most well known female artists of her time, little is known about her life. Art scholars have come to generally agree that the style of her art indicates that Peeters is a native of Antwerp, Belgium. The city archives of Antwerp have a record of a Clara Peeters, daughter of Jean (Jan) Peeters, who was baptized on May 15, 1594, in the Church of St. Walburga. However, based on the 1607 dates of her earliest known paintings, she would have been 12 or 13 when she created them. Historians doubt that a girl that young could have painted with such skill and therefore they have suggested the artist was likely born in the 1580s.

The city archives also has a record of a marriage between Clara Peeters and Henricus Joosen on May 31, 1639, but it is uncertain if this is the artist because both the first name, Clara, and especially the surname, Peeters, were very common names in Antwerp at that time.

Whenever she was born, Clara Peeters was an established artist in Amsterdam by 1611 and documented in The Hague in 1617. However, there is no document of her work after 1621 which suggests she may have stopped painting after getting married. A number of apparent copies of her work by various hands have led historians to believe that she may have headed a small school of artists. Also there is no document recording her date of death which leaves experts to speculate that she may have died in or after 1621, after 1654, after 1657, in 1659, or in 1676. So she may have lived 27 years or 82. I would really love to know!

Seventeenth century European women were only granted restricted access to artistic training or membership in art guilds but Peeters still managed to have a successful career as a professional artist. She specialized in still life paintings of food and was a prominent artist in helping to shape the Netherland traditions of ontbijtjes (breakfast pieces) and banketjes (banquet pieces).

Her first known painting is signed and dated 1607 and reflects the technical and compositional skills of a highly trained artist yet no record of her as ever been found in Antwerp or the art centers of the Dutch Republic. Because most artists and apprentices were recorded in local guilds during this time, the lack of any record of Clara Peeters suggests she may have been the daughter of an artist and therefore would not be included in apprenticeship records. She has been linked to various well known Dutch and Flemish artists such as Osias Beert, Hans van Essen, Jan van der Beeck, and Jan Bruegel the Elder, who may have been her teachers.

Although there is no record of any patrons, the subject matter and size of her paintings suggest she was a successful artist creating her art for wealthy collectors. Four of her earliest works were found in the Spanish royal collection.

 

About the Art: Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers

There are 31 works signed “Clara Peeters” or “Clara P.” Most are dated with years ranging from 1607-1621 indicating that 18 of her works were completed by the time Clara was just 18 years old. Several of her paintings have her signature represented as engraved script on the handle of the same decorated knife which appears to be a “bride’s knife” in the style that Antwerp silversmiths produced from 1595-1600. Because the knife is the same in several paintings, it is speculated that it was a knife personally owned by the artist.

Peeters was one of the earliest artists who specialized in still life and flowers, producing her art while this genre was still emerging and evolving. There are less than 10 paintings of flowers that can be dated prior to 1608, the year her first recorded flower painting is dated. She created a set of four large still life paintings around 1611 which were part of the Spanish royal collection by the following century. This collection includes the earliest known still life of dead game birds. Her 1611 paintings of fish and game appeared long before other artists began painting similar subject matter.

In her works prior to 1620, her fascination with the way light falls and reflects on metal objects is evident. Peeters often depicted herself in reflections on goblets and other metal objects which was an artistic custom dating back to a century earlier in the Netherlands.

She used this reflection technique seven times in Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers, appearing four times on the pewter jug and three times in the golden goblet. This 1611 painting is oil on panel measuring 52 cm (20.4 in) high by 73 cm (28.7 in) wide and is currently owned by the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.  

Resources/References:

•  Clara Peeters: Wikipedia
• Fine Art America: Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers, 1611 by Clara Peeters
• Clara Peeters – Mesa (Prado): Wikimedia Commons
• Dose of Art #189: Clara Peeters – Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers (c. 1611)

About My Outfit Inspired by Still Life with Nuts, Candy and Flowers

When I first saw the painting, my first inclination was to restyle the floral kimono I wore for a previous Style Imitating Art challenge, but then I remembered this black floral shirt dress that I have been wanting to style as a duster. The floral print seemed pretty on point for representing the flower arrangement in the painting. I find that my eyes are most drawn to the flowers and the glass of deep red wine so I decided to wear my red maxi dress which also made an appearance in a previous SIA challenge.

I used my accessories as a way to represent all the different types of metals that appear in the painting. My sparkly ankle boots are really close to a pewter color while my belt buckle is kind of brassy and my necklace and earrings (handmade by Michelle of My Bijou Life) are made from copper washers.

My green Teddy Blake bag is back again because it is the bag that I generally carry on a daily basis. If it matches my outfit (which it usually does because it goes with everything) then I incorporate it into my photographs. Otherwise I usually forget to bring a coordinating bag. But I generally always remember a coordinating hat. Until my eyes deceive me in the dim light of my closet room and I grab a hat that is not what I thought it was! I thought this hat was black until I got out into the sunlight and realized it is actually blue. But I think it ended up working out okay anyway.

Archie was my photographer for these pictures and he did such a great job that he definitely deserves a shout out and a special thank you!

 

And that’s what I came up with for this week’s challenge. How did I do?

Be sure to check out Terri’s interpretation of the artwork as well as Salazar’s take on it. And please visit Terri on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, to see her review post of outfit submissions. If you want to participate, you still have time! Terri needs your photos by Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 10:00 p.m. EST to be featured in her post. 

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Outfit Details: Dress, Duster, Boots, and Belt-Torrid / Hat-Kohl’s / Bag-Teddy Blake / Necklace and Earrings-Handmade by Michelle of My Bijou Life