Still life with a fish

Still life with a fish presents a table-top arrangement featuring a tall glass of wine on a dark, ornate stem, a fish laid on a plate behind a lemon half, a loaf of bread to the right, and a white linen cloth draped over the edge. The palette is restrained, with browns, grays, and cream tones, while light plays across glass, metal, and the fish’s scales to produce subtle highlights and shadows. The painting showcases Claesz’s precise, tactile realism and the quiet, balanced composition characteristic of Dutch Golden Age still lifes.