Retables with their numerous figurines are a beautiful sight. Large examples were intended to be placed on an altar or attached to the wall behind an altar. Smaller pieces like this were for private use.
This is painting and sculpture together in one beautiful work: a gilded retable in the form of an elegant tower. A very wealthy client must have commissioned it – perhaps from the circle of the dukes of Burgundy.
Still lifes are a real treat. The genre flourished in 17th-century Netherlandish painting. The challenge for the painter was to make everything look truly lifelike...
Fritz Mayer van den Bergh had a close relationship with his mother. After his death, she realised his life’s dream of setting up his own museum. Henriëtte van den Bergh also had a strong social conscience.
Fritz Mayer van den Bergh bought art and historical objects for around twenty years. The resulting museum collection numbers around 3,100 items, and is surprisingly diverse.
