Balthasar van der Ast Oil Painting Reproductions

Balthasar van der Ast Dutch Golden Age Paintings

Balthasar van der Ast is one of the most famous Dutch painters of still flower paintings. He is renowned for creating intricate oil paintings on canvas that often feature shells, fruit, lizards, and insects.

The Dutch Golden Age, a genuinely awe-inspiring historical period from 1609 to 1713, is a testament to the Netherlands' economic growth and cultural advancement. During the Golden Age, artists such as Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Frans Hals were well-known for their famous paintings. Prosperity and artistic development characterized this period.

The Life of Balthasar van der Ast

He was born in Middleburg in 1593 in Zeeland in the Netherlands. The van der At family were wealthy wool merchants.

Balthasar Van der Ast was essential in developing still-life floral paintings. His brother-in-law was Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder.

Van der Ast likely received his initial training from his brother-in-law, Ambrosius Bosschaert, another prominent still life painter. Van der Balthasar van der Ast's early oil paintings show Bosschaert's influence, featuring detailed and vibrant floral still lifes.

Over time, van der Ast developed his unique style, incorporating various subjects in his compositions, including insects and exotic shells. During the Dutch Golden Age, people considered these items rarities and symbols of wealth and knowledge.

The Dutch Golden Age of Painting

Artistic developments during The Dutch Golden Age influenced future generations of artists, and it is considered a significant era in the history of Western Art.

Still life paintings were a significant genre of art during the Dutch Golden Age. These famous oil paintings depict everyday objects, allowing the artists to reveal their skill at recreating surfaces and the effects of light.

Balthasar Van der Ast was a master of the still life. His oil paintings characterize meticulous details with rich, vibrant colors. He had an exceptional ability to depict the texture of petals, the translucence of glass, and the sheen of metals, giving an almost tactile quality to his paintings.

Collaborations with Other Artists

Van der Ast occasionally collaborated with other artists, such as Jan Davidsz de Heem, another famous Dutch artist. These collaborative paintings blended different styles and techniques, creating unique art and pushing the boundaries of still life painting.

Famous Floral Still Life Paintings

Balthasar van der Ast’s paintings are in significant international art museum collections.

The artist painted Still Life with Flowers around 1625, and it is on display at the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. The museum holds an extensive collection of Still Lifes by artists Jan van Huysum, Abraham Mignon, and Pieter Claesz.

Floral Still Life with Shells 1622 is part of Missouri's Saint Louis Art Museum collection. 

Balthasar van Ast's painting of Sea Shells is thought to have been painted between 1630 and 1650. The Phoenix Art Museum owns it.

The Taft Museum of Art owns one of Balthasar van der Ast’s most colorful paintings. Still Life with Tilted Basket of Fruit, Flowers, and Shells depicts 32 species of flowers, many kinds of shells and fruit, insects and spiders, lizards, and even a parrot.

Still Life Art Reproduction Oil Paintings

Discover colorful paintings by some of the greatest Dutch Golden Agent artists, including floral still life paintings by some of the 17th century’s greatest artists.