Attributed to Jacques Linard circa 1600 - 1645 Paris

The present picture was traditionally attributed to Louise Moillon who, along with  Jacques Linard, was among the prime exponents of French still life painting in the first half of the 17th century. These artists, named the “Masters of Reality” by Curt Benedict  in his article entitled “A propos de quelques natures mortes de l’époque de Louis XIII” (Maanblad voor beeldende Kunsten, 1948), strove to express the quiet and mysterious qualities in simple still life compositions.  Their compositions consisted of a principal object placed at the focal center of the painting, such as in the present work. 

The present painting can be compared to Prunes et poires sur un plat d’étain, signed, located and dated 1629, and to Plat de prunes, both kept in the Art Gallery of Athens (see M.Faré, Le Grand Siècle de la Nature Morte en France, le XVIIème siècle, Fribourg, 1974, illustrated p.24).