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Breakfast Piece
(Baroque Europe )
In the 1600s, ham, bread, and white wine were often eaten at breakfast as well as at lunch. The use of simple pewter indicates that this is an everyday meal. The angle at which we view the composition encourages us to think that the scene is an extension of our own space and that we are seated close by, while the dish balanced precariously on the table's edge engages our attention by making us think that it might fall!
Pieter Claesz. and his followers developed this popular subject during the 1630's and 1640's.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1994 | Artful Dining: The Exhibition. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1981-1982 | New Light on Old Pictures: Dutch and Flemish Paintings from the Walters. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/27/1981 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Geographies
Netherlands, Haarlem (Place of Origin)
Measurements
15 9/16 x 21 15/16 in. (39.6 x 55.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Charles Street: Second Floor: 17th-Century Dutch Cabinet Rooms
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1984