Still Life with Silver
The Met
Artist: Alexandre François Desportes(French, Champigneulle 1661–1743 Paris)
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 103 x 73 3/4 in. (261.6 x 187.3 cm)
Credit Line: Purchase, Mary Wetmore Shively Bequest, in memory of her husband, Henry L. Shively, M.D., 1964
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
Tiered display of fruit, silver vessels, and colorful flowers, set against a distant landscape
Detailed Description
A vertical arrangement of objects is displayed on a table, set against a background that transitions from drapery to a landscape. In the upper center, a golden, shell-like ornament features a bearded, leafy green man's face, encircled by a large wreath of white, pink, red, and blue flowers. Below this, two large, golden, fluted shell-shaped plates frame a silver tureen with a lid, which has two dragon-like handles. On either side of this central arrangement, on dark pedestals, stand silver-colored vases with fluted bodies, small blue and white bowls, and smaller reddish-brown vases. The pedestals are decorated with sculpted figures, including a goat-like head on the left. Numerous flowers in shades of white, pink, red, and blue are scattered and draped among the objects. A teal-colored cloth covers the central part of the upper table. The lower section of the table is marble-topped. A large, tiered silver stand is centered, laden with a variety of fruits. The top tier holds small, round, light-colored fruits, possibly peaches or apricots. The middle tier displays green and reddish pears, while the bottom tier is filled with peaches, plums, and other fruits. This tiered stand rests on a large, golden, fluted plate. To the left and right of the fruit stand are two large silver ewers, each with a handle shaped like a winged creature and decorated with relief carvings of figures. These ewers also sit on golden, fluted plates. On the far left of the table, a white cloth is draped next to a sliced melon, pears, and apples. On the far right, a plate holds slices of meat. The background behind the table transitions from dark reddish-brown drapery on the left to a sky with white clouds and green trees on the right.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
