The Life and Travels of Peter van Kessel
Peter van Kessel was a Flemish still life painter who likely began his career in Antwerp. While his exact training remains a subject of historical inquiry, he was active in Germany by 1658, appearing in records in Würzburg and Bamberg. His professional journey took him across Northern Europe, including a period in Gdańsk. In 1668, while traveling to work at the court in Copenhagen, he stayed in Lübeck, where he worked in the workshop of Burchard Wulff and later practiced independently under the dean of the local painter's guild, Hans Götjens. His travels eventually led him to the Danish court, and he died in Ratzeburg in early October 1668.
Artistic Specializations and Themes
As a specialist in still life, van Kessel mastered several sub-genres, including:
- Flower pieces
- Fruit still lifes
- Vanitas paintings
- Garland paintings
- Hunting pieces
- Game pieces
- Skulls
- Dice
- Wine glasses
- Sheet music and violins
- Wilting flowers
- Hourglasses
- Extinguished candles
His flower paintings often featured compositions such as flowers in a glass vase set within a stone gray niche. In these works, elements like roses, tulips, carnations, and marigolds are depicted, sometimes accompanied by a stag beetle. His garland paintings typically involved a collaboration where he painted fruit or flower garlands surrounding a central figure or portrait. Additionally, his vanitas still lifes utilized symbolic objects to reflect on the transient nature of life, such as:
