Still Life in a Garden
This prolific artist, the son of a still life painter, became a specialist in still life and game pieces. In the late 17th century he introduced decorative landscapes in the background to keep up with changing public taste and to satisfy the demand for paintings that combined different genre. He spent much of his working life in Antwerp. Artists like Gryeff were keen to demonstrate their skills in realistic depictions of food, pottery, silverware, etc. Bread, fruit and exotic, imported foodstuffs were particularly popular subjects, as were animals and dead game birds. In this painting, Gryeff blends many elements into a complex composition that condenses a remarkable amount into a small panel.
