Skip to contentSkip to navigation

Jacques Linard

Still Life with Shells and Coral

Artist

Jacques Linard
Troyes 1597 – Paris 1645

Title

Still Life with Shells and Coral

Date

1640

Materials

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

53.3 x 62.2 cm

Credits

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michal Hornstein, inv. 1999.149

Collection

Western Art

"Painter of reality," Linard was one of the most important still-life painters in seventeenth-century France. His works balance fascinating detail with poetic compositions of a simplicity that distinguishes French still-life painting of the period from the lusher, more sophisticated works by Flemish and Dutch painters. This canvas is a different version of one of the artist’s paintings that feature shells. Part of the appeal of exotic and very expensive shells had to do with their status as mirabilia – rare objects pursued by amateurs for their collections of natural wonders. Still lifes also delighted owners for their implied moral and intellectual themes. Coral, for example, was believed to ward off the “evil eye” and, because its form recalled blood vessels, it had long been associated with Christ’s Blood of Redemption. The allusion to Christ’s protection against the evils of the world gave coral a spiritual significance, while shells with pearly interiors suggested luxury and sensuality.

Add a touch of culture to your inbox
Subscribe to the Museum newsletter

Bourgie Hall Newsletter sign up