Jan van Huysum: fruits

• 1743, copper engraving, height: 47 cm

Duke Christian Ludwig knew the Amsterdam still life painter from as early as 1716. He apparently spent many years trying to get one of the famous painter’s works. In 1738 he finally ordered two small panels from him and personally specified the motifs.

Yet even this process was a long way from creating the desired success. Detailed correspondence with the artist, and even a gift of cured boar, could not speed up Huysum’s way of working.

The diplomatic representative of Mecklenburg in The Hague tried to help by sending his contacts in Amsterdam to visit the artist in his workshop. Yet the artist claimed that he would first have to get the Duke’s letter in French translated and this pretext created further delay. For many years van Huysum said that the images were “nearly” finished. They ultimately formed part of the final works of the artist who died in 1749.