This is Pieter Claesz's Still Life with Musical Instruments. It was painted in 1623 and is located in the Louvre. Before I get to talking about the picture, I have a few things to say about the author. He was born in Berchem, near Antwerp, in the Netherlands. He was a still life painter. None of his paintings portray people. And the guy really should have used some sort of "stage name." I can't even begin to guess the pronounciation of it.
Now, about the painting. In general, it's not bad. It looks very realistic, and that's a quality I admire a lot in paintings, since no matter what I draw, it's never realistic.
One of the things I like about it is that it stands out from the standard still life. Usually, it will contain flowers, fruits, maybe a pitcher of water or something. This is the first still life I have seen with violins and a turtle! I like the fact that the painter found something that would make his still life stand out from the crowd. The objects on the table are very interesting, when examined more closely. There's a compass, a book, several unidentifiable objects on a plate ( I can't call it food - looks inedible). There's also a mirror with the reflection of the glass of... something (wine?). Off to the left, there are some more strange objects in what looks like a gravy boat, as well as a metal object with a cord around it. I suppose the artist found everything that looks interesting that he had in his house, put it on the table, and drew it. Creative.
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