Still life with pewter dish, jug and stoppers – Marjolein van den Berg

A square still life with excavated finds: a pewter dish, a stoneware Jacoba jug, two clay bottle stoppers and a spoon, on a wooden shelf in front of a grey-blue wall. Painted in acrylic on canvas by Marjolein van den Berg, c. 2011, as part of her series of still lifes with pewter and archaeological finds. The artist trained at the Tekenacademie and the Grafische school in Amsterdam and spent many years painting trompe-l’oeil murals and large panels. Around 2011 she painted a series of still lifes with pewter and archaeological finds, shown at Jan Beekhuizen's art and antiques gallery in Amsterdam. She works exclusively in acrylic; the colour palette and the remarkable fall of light, with the dark mood of the 17th-century masters, are characteristic of her work. The work suits a classic or antique interior, but works just as well as a contrast in a calm, modern or rustic setting, and will appeal directly to collectors of antique pewter, archaeology and excavated finds. Technique: acrylic on canvas, in a black-painted wooden frame with a gold-coloured inner slip. Signature: signed ‘Bellezza’ on the front. Condition: Good condition. Paint layer intact: no craquelure, tears, paint loss or retouching visible; canvas taut. Frame with light signs of use (small scuffs along the edges). Dimensions (with frame): 40.2 cm wide X 40.2 cm high X 3.2 cm deep. Technique: acrylic on canvas, hand-painted. Artist: Marjolein van den Berg, the Netherlands, c. 2011.