Still Life with Oysters

Still Life with Oysters

A collection of oysters is grouped around a glass of wine. A few closed mussels have been added at the left, with a single open shell depicted at the right, its shades of blue and white contrasting with the overall earthy tonality. Behind the oysters stands a squat bottle, perhaps containing olive oil.

This group of objects reflects the influence of still lifes by the eighteenth-century artist Chardin. There was a revival of interest in Chardin’s work in the nineteenth century, and the still lifes became very important to Rousseau. All the objects reflect light, from the glass of wine to the glistening oysters. A knife rests on the glass, delicate touches of white paint highlighting the silver band around its handle and the sliver of light caught by the blade. This is considered a late work, and may be the painting entitled A Still Life with Oysters which was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1876.