Adriaen van der Cabel (Rijswijk, 1630 or 1631 – Lyon, 16 June 1705) Still life with figs, peaches, grapes and flowers Oil on canvas, 56.5 x 76 cm With frame, 76 x 95 cm The still life described here can be linked to the still numerically small catalog of the painter Adriaen van der Cabel, at least as far as the works related to this specific genre are concerned. Famous above all for his port views and genre scenes, in some cases he detached himself from landscape painting, moving onto less familiar territory but in which he demonstrated a confidence and knowledge of the genre derived also from the experiences gained during his career, where he had the opportunity to meet artists and colleagues expert in these subjects, considering the fortune that still life had in Northern Europe, and in particular in the Netherlands, during the 18th century. The spatial order with which the two baskets, one ceramic and one wicker, are arranged is found in the careful decentralization of both, which allows them to occupy both sides of the scene in addition to visually linking the fruits of the first, the figs, with those of the second, the peaches. The lines of force start from the raised surface where the figs are located, which appear slightly in shadow compared to the peaches, placed together with the container along a slightly lower shelf which the eye spontaneously reaches; surrounding and enclosing the two containers are some flowers, such as blue and white cornflowers, a yellow tulip, and a poppy flanked by a white peony, with bright and contrasting colors that then give way to nuts and a broken plum branch, which, however, has not yet lost its ripe fruits and leaves. In Van der Cabel's other attempts in this genre we find the characteristic feature of fruit baskets, as well as the addition of open fruits, such as shelled walnuts, and the predilection for some in particular such as peaches and plums, preferred by the painter. Born and raised in Rijswijk, near The Hague, Cabel undertook his training under the guidance of Jan van Goyen. His career led him early to Paris in 1655 and to Lyon (c. 1655-58) where he settled at a young age and spent most of his life. However, he lived in Rome between 1659 and 1666, where he had the opportunity to update his studies and knowledge of Italian art and that of the Flemings present in the eternal city, also becoming part of their community, known as the Bentvueghels, among whom he was known by the nickname Geestigheid, "humor," which emphasized his joyful and poignant humor. Furthermore, here he became one of Codazzi's usual collaborators, as demonstrated by an architecture preserved at the Uffizi. Cabel was not the only artist in his family; his brother Engel van der Cabel, also a painter and member of the Bentvueghels with the nickname "Corydon," accompanied him on his travels and settled with him in Lyon, where he became "Maître-Garde" of the Guild of Saint Luke. This close family and professional relationship underscores the importance of collaboration and artistic exchange within their circle. Van der Cabel's great legacy is also translated through his pupils: he was the master and godfather of the Lyonnaise landscape painter Adrien Manglard, who acquired his style and landscape treatment both of Dutch and Roman-Bolognese derivation, derived from van der Cabel during his stay in Italy. This transmission of knowledge and styles profoundly influenced Manglard, who in turn became one of the most famous landscape painters of his era in Rome. He died in Lyon in 1705.