The Still Lifes of Adriaen Coorte: 1683-1707

The paintings of Adriaen Coorte form a striking group of works in still-life art of around 1700. At this time there were a few specialised still-life painters active in the Northern Netherlands and whereas his fellow still-life artists displayed a keen interest for profusion and luxuriance, Coorte found his strength in very simple depictions. Today, his work is much sought after among art lovers. In fact, the lack of pretension in his paintings appears to be the deciding factor in his ever-increasing popularity. This lack of pretension is evident from both the simplicity of the subject matter and the usually small size of his paintings. This highly readable publication appears in conjunction with an exhibition about Coorte, a grand 'small master'. As various paintings by him have been traced in recent years, the catalogue contains a complete description of his oeuvre, the first to appear since 1977.