Still-Life of Books

Still-Life of Books shows a cluttered arrangement on a wooden tabletop: stacked and scattered volumes, loose leaves, a rolled manuscript, an open book at the right, and a violin laid behind the pile. Light from the right illuminates the pale pages and worn leather bindings, creating strong contrasts with the dark background and casting shadows that define texture. The work embodies de Heem's precise, tactile Baroque still-life painting, with a warm earth palette of browns, creams, and grays and a careful rendering of paper, cloth, and wood surfaces.