Still life with fruit and oysters

During his stay in the Dutch Republic, Mignon was swept up in a new artistic trend: Pronkstilleven. Pronkstilleven were still-lives that capitalized on the pure emptiness of wealth. The paintings themselves were beautiful- exploring the depth and detail of luxury. At the same time, the paintings will leave some walking away with a feeling of emptiness. Throughout the generations, the old have found ways to push the answers to their problems in a medium that lasts longer than the spoken word. Some might say the Pronkstilleven is one of those mediums; a lesson we teach to this day: wealth cannot bring joy.