Still life with Jan Steen jug and chestnuts – Marjolein van den Berg

A still life with a 17th-century pewter Jan Steen jug from the collection of Jan Beekhuizen, beside a brandy bowl (excavated find) filled with chestnuts on a white cloth. Warm and dark, with the light of the 17th-century masters. 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. Illustrated in the exhibition catalogue as no. 8, ‘Bodemvondst brandewijnkommetje’ (canvas size 35 X 45 cm). Marjolein van den Berg (Ursem, 1971) trained at the Tekenacademie and the Grafische school in Amsterdam (1987–1992) and then spent many years painting trompe-l’oeil murals and large panels in private homes, on walls and ceilings – painting that makes you feel you could walk straight through the wall. As a child she was already searching for ‘hidden treasure’, and she has kept doing so with a metal detector. Around 2011 she painted a series of still lifes with pewter and archaeological finds: her own finds, those of her detecting friends – many from spoil soil from historic town centres, including Amsterdam – and pieces from the collection of pewter dealer Jan Beekhuizen. The series was shown at his art and antiques gallery on the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat in Amsterdam, alongside the selling exhibition Pewter Ware 19. 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 painting is in 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): 52 cm wide X 41.5 cm high X 3.2 cm deep. Technique: acrylic on canvas, hand-painted. Artist: Marjolein van den Berg, the Netherlands, c. 2011.