Balthasar van der Ast

Balthasar van der Ast (* 1593 or 1594 in Middelburg, The Netherlands, † March 7, 1657 in Delft ) was a Dutch painter of still life.

Life

When his father Hans died a wealthy widower in 1609, Balthasar van der Ast moved to his older sister Mary, ( 1573-1621 ) was married to the flower - painter Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. In the early works of van der Ast the influence Bosschaerts can be clearly felt.

The latest from 1619 he lived in Utrecht, where he was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke. It is believed that Jan Davidsz de Heem ( 1606-1683/1684 ) was his pupil.

From 1632 lived Balthasar van der Ast in Delft and married there in 1633 his wife Margrieta. The couple had two daughters named Mary and Helena.

He died in Delft in December of 1657 and was there in the Oude Kerk, the "old church " buried.

Work

Balthasar van der Ast specialized in his paintings, especially the depiction of flowers, fruits and snail shells, which he presented on mostly small-format images. His pictorial compositions are often activated by insects, in part by lizards.

The coveted his time Chinese shells which passed through the flourishing trade with East Asia in the possession of wealthy Dutchman, he painted with great care and attention to detail (see pictures).

The insects, beetles, flies and other insects have partly symbolic function. Thus, the delicate butterfly indicates the rapid transience of the blossoms, while other insects should refer to the perishable nature of the fruit.

In his flower paintings, van held the road is not always to the seasons: he has variously flowers displayed together on an image that does not bloom at the same time.