Peaches and raspberries on a wan-li kraak porcelain plate, with strawberries in a wan-li-krak porcelain beaker, with a glass of white wine on a tabletop

This jewel-like copper displays with meticulous skill the detail characteristic of the best early seventeenth century Dutch still lives. Capturing the shadow and light reflected from the delicate wine glass in his typical, earth-toned palette, Beert incorporates subtle hints of red to bring warmth to this small but impressive painting. Echoed in the butterfly gently resting at the edge of the plate of peaches, this compositional thread unifies the still life in a manner often emulated by his contemporaries, such as Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. The bare wooden table upon which the porcelain and glass elements rest provides a more natural backdrop to objects of an undoubtedly refined taste.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer, of the RKD in The Hague, for confirming the attribution and suggesting a date of circa 1610, on the basis of photographs (private communication, 10 December 2010).